Eudora Welty
Music: Chicago,
Beginnings
I finally watched a news story
That joyously brightened my day
A tiny family owned hardware store
Outlasted a corporate giant – Hooray!
This occurred in a small town in Vermont
And it appears to now be a growing trend
Family run enterprises, making a comeback
And I hope it’s a movement that will not end
And what delightful memories this stirred
Of the many Mom & Pops of my childhood
Fabulous little family owned establishments
Priding themselves in providing quality goods
How I fondly remember Mr. Honig’s Hardware
Where my Dad often sent me for plumbing parts
And Mrs. Pugh’s very delightful old grocery store
Where Grandma sent me for fresh artichoke hearts
And the quaint old drug store just down the street
Where my Grandpa got his cigars and his medicine
The owner, old Mr. Kowalski, provided credit to him
And Grandpa would pay him, when his check came in
And in our old neighborhood, what truly marvelous old bakeries
Each of them providing such truly scrumptious, ethnic delicacies
Glorious Italian, German, Polish, Irish, French, and Oriental pastry
Just thinking about their many mouth watering goods fills me with glee
And today, I still prefer a tiny, family owned, Italian or Mexican restaurant
Over the gigantic, nationwide, tasteless, corporate owned, restaurant chains
Where Papa Joe or Mamma Juanita still meticulously prepare a family dish
And I continue to avoid corporate owned and mass produced like the plague
America’s many Mom & Pop businesses truly helped build this vast nation
Providing honesty, and integrity, and family guarantees, each & every day
These days, I’ll still go out of my way to patronize existing Mom & Pops
You can have your corporate giants, I prefer ‘family owned’ in every way
I finally watched a news story
That joyously brightened my day;
A tiny, family owned, hardware store,
That outlasted a corporate giant – Hooray!
©2008, Mr. Ed
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Cheers,
Dan
Be always safe,
Karen
As a kid in South Bawlmer - corner of Light & Barney Sts. - 2 groceries, both Jewish - Jack's & Kagle's - 2 bars - Little Joe's & Jim's - one block away N, Barney & Byrd - 2 more Jewish groceries - Fishbein's & Marty's - one block E - another Jewish store - one block S - another bar, Kohlhoff's - ALL gave credit on the cuff - ALL Jewish or German - ALL with families, and whose kids you went to school with - ALL who would provide 'odd jobs' so a kid could make a few nickles - stocking shelves, or sweeping floors, or washing windows -
Most ALL GONE - ceptin' 2 bars!
Fee
Christine
(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.
They're not just "Mom and Pops," they're FAMILY.
TL
takes me back to some well known Mom & pops
Of my days too
Peace be with you
William
Blessings and Love ~~ Micke
larry
every lady in the neighborhoood knew me and my 2 brothers,it jsut sees wrong to go into a store now a says,that sells live fishing worms next to the tv's microw waves and panties asile ,that just seems wrong to me so.thanks for reminding us of the way it used to be,
stan
God bless,
Lew
Newfie hugs, Rose
I never had much for Malls, still don't, I think I am too old to kiss corporations behinds...
Thanks for the remembrances, PeeWee.
Georg
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tx., Karen Lynn. :D