Disappearing

There’s nothing we like better on a road trip than finding an old time Mom & Pop store. They used to be everywhere but have been slowly disappearing since the 1980’s. We never pass one without stopping to visit and talk with the owners. These stores were a big part of my childhood. I grew up in a small town and most of the town was family businesses. Almost everything was from mom & pop stores. There were two family owned small grocery stores, a bakery, drugstore and a hardware. One grocery store had wooden floors and a meat counter where they would cut meat anyway you wanted it, wrap it in paper and tie it with string. You got to know everyone who worked in the small stores and they knew you by name. The in-person social interaction made you feel at home. The owners were friends and members of the community. People were more friendly back then. The hardware was really messy, you couldn’t find anything, but if you ask for something they knew exactly where it was and would get it and hand it to you. Mom & Pop stores are still around but they are not as prevalent as they once were. I miss them.

 Photo by Cheri Hicks