The Little Man....Memories of Small Town America

I snapped this for you this morning when I finished with my haircut! Talk about bein' Mayberry! I didn't feel comfortable taking photos inside the store...but it's a really cool little dimestore, I LOVE it!

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There are still a few of these old-fashioned Ben Franklin's left...in the rare small town that has shunned the super centers and mega marketers. The town might be tucked away in an -out-of-the-way 'burg that is surrounded by old, modest, yet picturesque homes that peek from behind maple, oak, or elms: the giant trees shading the avenues with the same names. The fact that there are still a few of these left for sure has something to do with the tenacity of the small, independent retailer. It ain't easy bein' the little man.

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This little gem might be in line along the street with parking meters that eat quarters, a three-story Masonic Temple, a reliable old-fashioned barber shop with the spinning red, white and blue pole, a prim insurance office, tucked in between a corner and an old-fashioned pharmacy--the one with the mortar and pestle painted on the plate-glass window. When you walk in, there might be an old wooden and glass showcase, with special items inside, and an elderly cashier. Her little bent-over and elderly husband comes out of one of the aisles, and asks if he can help you. They've been saying those words for over fifty years.) You thank him, but tell him you're just looking around. "Well, if you need anything, you just be sure to let me know!" I will, I reply. But I won't need any help. I don't really need anything.

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Actually, I'm just remembering.

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You grab one of the small, folding canvas shopping baskets in red, yellow and blue and fold up the red metal handles and your mind starts the recall, the detail. The special sound of the wooden floor, creaking beneath your feet. You remember your excitement when, as a kid, you were brought here for "shopping". Shopping was not an everyday occurrence. It was a treat.

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Sometimes it was for Christmas with the quarter allowances you'd saved since Labor Day, sometimes for a birthday of one of your siblings, or maybe for that "special" Mother's Day gift. Perhaps for Mom it was a rain bonnet in a snapping plastic case. Or maybe you bought her a doily or dishtowel with daisies or teapots embroidered on them in the half-an-aisle sized domestics department, or if you were low on money, a package of Doublemint gum or a Mr. Goodbar! (She had her secret stash of Mr. Goodbars, you know--we weren't supposed to know where--and would eat part of one every single morning with her cup of tea while she read her Bible passages for that day!)

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For Dad on his day, I'd head to the glass-fronted candy case from which a glorious sweet smell emanated--the one where the lady with the beehive hair-do asked if she could help you....with the adorable mini white paper bags and clanking little silver metal candy scoops! For daddy it would be for black licorice: either ropes or jelly beans, or maybe even Good 'n Plenty! (He loved licorice!) Perhaps you'd put money together with another sister or brother and do some big-time spending with a purchase of (another) screw driver or screw assortment!

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Your little eyes take in neatly displayed "knick knacks" on the front glass shelving. That's where you shopped for mom for Christmas, or for your older sister when she grew too old for toys, you'd get her a birthstone-jeweled girl figurine holding a birthday candle. Then, down each narrow aisle, you're remembering the excitement of spring and buying (with your carefully saved nickles, dimes and quarters) your first jump rope, or yo-yo, jacks and balls or a Little Golden Book.

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You recall what a wonder that was mom's patience as she helped each of her eager shoppers find their special item, the many questions asked of her: "How much do I need for this?" and those answers that sometimes made you jump for joy (if you actually had enough!) and those answers of "No, honey, you don't have enough money for that." might make you moan or even whine! (Whining in the store was NOT tolerated so you were asking for trouble if you did that.)

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Shopping for a birthday or special holiday would require a stop over in "stationery" for a card perhaps and your choice of wrapping paper, all lined up in their perfectly square packages.

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On the way out the door, which was directly in front of the glass-front candy counter, you'd smell those chocolate covered raisins, point them out and say to your sis "Next time we come back, I'm going to get me some of those!" Then she'd show me what she really wanted next time, and then we'd skip back out the door to the car, where we climbed into the old station wagon and head home to wrap and hide those gifts in anticipation of giving them to their recipients.

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Sometimes I miss those days of having less, simpler times and fewer choices. I think we've robbed a lot of kids of some special memories when there's so much available to them all the time. (Step into a cereal aisle sometime, and you'll see what I mean.) I remember taking really good care of that jump rope or those jacks and balls or marbles, because visits to the store were few and far between.

That's why, when I run into something like this, the memories come flooding back and now that I have a blog, I can share them with all of you and see if you remember, too!

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God Bless the "Little Man"

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Do you remember the old "Dime Store" or "Five & Dime"?