They have no great desire to have the latest and greatest fashion or piece of artwork. It is remarkable that the only thing that Mr.Webb can come up with, is that there are some girls who know how to play the piano. Even so the characters still all have dreams. The two wives fantasize about seeing Europe and what they would do if they had the money. This shows the reader that the people are not living what today's audience would say is a boring life.
Since they are all such friendly neighbors, without the distractions of today, town gossip seems to flourish in the little hamlet. Simon Stimson, the town drunk and also the victim of hard tragedies in his life, is the topic of conversation of the three women coming back from choir practice. Another example of gossip, if it can be called such, is when Doc Gibbs asks Joe Crowell about his teacher getting married. In such a close-knit community, the events of others lives are seen as much bigger happenings because everyone knows each other and also due to the fact that their was not many others to gossip about. .
All of these small pleasures in life are the things that no one seems to truly notice, until it is too late. In his essay, I think that David Kranes put it well.
Life is framed "here in Grover's Corners "as if it were a mere moment: bright-shining as a star then, as quickly, dark. We are told of the evening star: that it is always "wonderful bright . . . just before it has to go out."" Light. Light extinguished. Hello. Good-bye When we don't value Time, we wish carelessly. When we see the gift of time, we wish longingly.
["Our Town: Life is a Gift-; 1993].
This brings out an interesting point of the story. During the play, one of major themes is the value of life. None of the characters see the way that they don't even notice the details that really are the very core of existence. Emily in the last scene chooses to go back and relive her twelfth birthday.