Buying locally has become second nature for me at this point
and I don’t think I can ever set foot in Wal-Mart again. At a meeting last week
regarding our “town” someone said they thought that Wal-Mart was our town
center. Frightening, but probably accurate. Back when I made several trips to
Wal-Mart a month, I always encountered people I knew. On the weekends, there was
usually a boy or girl scout troop installed at the entrance selling cookies or
popcorn or some other unhealthy product I don’t need, but usually buy, because
I know the kids who are doing the selling.
Our town also has a small main street with art galleries,
antique stores, and even a farm-to-table restaurant. To my mind, that should be
our town center, and probably was once upon a time. Now it is mostly frequented
by “tourists” from the Baltimore area. I suppose the reason it’s not our town
center is that, other than the restaurant, the other stores are the kind you only
frequent when guests are visiting. Plus the parking isn’t very simple, although
it’s free. There is a park nearby, but it is hard to find. I lived here nearly
a year before I discovered it, and only because the end-of-year kindergarten
party was held there.
So, I suppose that the Wal-Mart shopping center is our town
center. I wish it weren’t. This is a farming town at its heart. Antiques, farm
restaurants, single-shingle shops and offices make a more appropriate town
center.
