January 29, 2007

Fall Into the Danger Zone

So.. the store works well, and the navigation gremlins have been put out to pasture, and the visitors seem to like it. And yet, something is still missing (besides the obvious thing - sales).

In a way I am reminded a bit of the grand opening of the tavern that my late husband and I bought back in 1985. We worked like mad to get everything ready for the opening, slaving on the place by the midnight oil lamps, stumbling home at 3am to arise at 8 and start again before the desert heat and sand squat on us and made work impossible. Finally we flung open the doors and stood back proudly, awaiting the mad dash. It never came.

Traffic trickled in, a bit wary and a bit put off that the place had changed ownership without their permission. Little was said about our hard work, the new bar stools, the carefully repaired bathrooms, the new fixtures and signage. The old guard would eventually accept us as one of their own, but that first day was not the day.

So now I see a similar trend with Fern's General Store. I hope someday I'll find myself accepted within the neighborhood.