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The Corner Store
By
Mary Beth Barry |
Braintree
- Spring is a time of renewal and reality! The reality
that the household projects we put off last fall until
spring are still there waiting for us to begin or complete.
I was looking around this weekend adding to the “to do” list
feeling a bit overwhelmed, yet excited, that I might
actually accomplish something this spring. Now that I have
my list the next step is where to go for supplies and advice
as sometimes I am overwhelmed by the many home supply
choices available.
I had a flashback to Cambridge Massachusetts early 1960’s
where there was a “corner store” down the street from our
house. This store was the mom and pop variety owned by a
husband and wife who worked hard and did everything in the
store. The store was small but full of the essentials and
plenty of penny candy and other treats. The owners were
fondly known as Jake and Mrs. Jake to us kids in the
neighborhood and always offered a smile when we would come
in to the store. This was the kind of business that my
mother would call in the morning before school to place an
order and I would run up the street and meet Jake who would
hand me the bag and “put it on the tab.”
Jake always had a small pencil behind his ear and would mark
down your purchases on the brown paper bag and quickly do
the math for a total. I can never recall him using a cash
register. Jake and his wife were staples in our community
who took the time to get to know the families, the elderly
and most importantly the kids and what was important to each
of us. They represented customer service at its best and did
they ever work hard from early morning to late night. Their
efforts have not been lost on me as an adult all these years
later.
The lesson for me is about supporting the local businesses
in my community who place value on customer service, loyalty
and delivering a good product. These are the same business
that support sports teams, school projects and other
community events that shape our neighborhoods. For me it is
about trusting the product and the people; whether it is
buying a new appliance or receiving my healthcare. As I look
around our South Shore communities I see many solid
businesses that meet these criteria. What I would really
like to happen is to close my eyes, make a wish and
everything would be done in a minute. But since this is not
the case I am looking forward to visiting new places and
meeting new people who may become partners in my home
improvement projects. I hope they are patient because this
is not my area of expertise. At least I aim to find the same
philosophy that I grew up with in Mr. and Mrs. Jake. |
About The Author
Mary Beth Barry, RN, MSM, CHPN is Director at Hospice
of the South Shore. You may reach her at (781) 794-7875 or
learn more at www.sshosp.org.
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