We should listen to Grandpa
Mike Patrick
The year is 2038, and Grandpa’s memory is as sharp as the chipped tooth he earned when he was tackled as a boy by his dog, Gruffie.
“Once upon a time,” Grandpa tells the grandkids gathered ‘round him, “we actually had buildings we walked into to buy stuff. Clothes, tools, toys — you name it, these buildings had it.
“We called them ‘stores.’”
Three of the four grandkids looked confused. The fourth, little Ralphie, was playing with his phone.
“Grandpa,” said sweet Elsie, 8, “why would you bother? It’s so much easier to shop online.”
Grandpa frowned. A flood of memories including hardware store smells and friendly chatter between shoppers and appealing Christmas displays came back to him, leapfrogging the years effortlessly.
“It took a little more time and effort,” he conceded, “but we could get exactly what we wanted. We could try on clothes to make sure they fit. We could feel the balance of the hammer in our hand, and we could play with the toys to be certain that’s what our kids would want.”
He paused long enough that the grandkids thought maybe he’d nodded off.
“There was one other thing,” he said so abruptly that little Ralphie dropped his phone. “Our neighbors had jobs in those stores. Those stores paid taxes so we could have good police and fire protection. The people who owned or managed those stores chipped in to support Little League teams and nonprofits that helped people who didn’t have a home or were working to overcome disabilities.”
The kids were paying attention, but fidgeting was being held at bay only through supreme effort, Grandpa could tell.
“I wish I could go back and make sure more people knew how important our local stores were,” he said. “Maybe it would’ve made no difference, but I’d have tried.”
And so must we.
— Mike Patrick, BJNI Editor
