I heard of something rather neat happening here in my little town yesterday. The thoughts were a slice of America that we just don’t see any more.

 

My little town has one lesser-chain grocery store, that overcharges for everything and that has one of those syndromes going on where it is totally afraid to ever through anything out. They dust now and then, but all wise shoppers know that you must dig to the back of the pile to get anything near to this year’s model in food.

 

Right away, everybody’s mind should go to where my mind is on this outdated food source that charges too much money: small business owners trying to make ends meet. Which is all fine and dandy, yet on some days you just really want that brand new box of corn flakes with this year’s Olympic hopeful on the cover.

 

Living in a small town is one big lesson in frustrations for many people. My internet service is what you were using 5-years ago. My food source is “iffy” to say the least. My neighbors all come from a religion that is not my own, so that I’m treated as an outsider after living here over 10-years. Our schools… sigh. I lead a typical small town life.

 

Down at the grocery store, there was a woman doing check-out duties that couldn’t afford to quit working at retirement age 65; she was still going. Last week sometime, she died. Now I should write you a happy little funeral scenario and be done… right? Wrong!

 

My overpriced, outdated, terrible penny-pincher little grocery store closed yesterday so that everybody could remember their nice older checker.

 

Amazing? Well, I thought so. To my knowledge large chains like Wal-Mart’s and Smith’s etc… that everybody else has do not shut-down if one of their faithful employee’s passes on. I’m almost 50-years-old and have never seen a community store chose their doors for a death – a sale in memory of the person, yes! But not a closure.

 

This closure was also not a media event. It wasn’t announced to bring more customers into the store because they are such great people; it just happened. The people around me are a little lost on what I find so special about community people caring about community people; after all it was horribly inconvenient for those needing milk or bread or junk food to go two-blocks down to the gas station to get it.

 

It’s like the whole world tipped over onto its ear yesterday… How did this happen? Somehow between thoughts of riches, our current trends in commercialism and designer fads, there was a tiny flicker of remembrance from an era long gone – a human element somehow slipped by our current standards and manifested itself into a reality.

 

I got to see a piece of history unfolding before my eyes yesterday… and that was nice. People used to be nice! I’m aware of that now. Money didn’t come first, people did.

 

Happy thoughts to all! Catherine

How nice to hear Catherine !!! When someone passes the big ole corperate world goes on and that persion is replaced and for gotten. You may live in a small town that has its weird lil quirks but u also have that nice lil luxury where the human spirit can be seen. For that small lil buissness owner to shut down shop over a cashier must have cost sum money. Money they cant afford litterally but it was done and you remeberd that lil old lady who worked her butt off and didnt have the luxury of retirement. Thats unheard of where im from and in the line of buisness i work. Hell just to take time off over a close love one is damn near impossible and must be documented up the wazzu !!! Thanxs for sharing Catherine.