When I was a kid, I made several trips to Crossroads Village; a restored turn of the century town where you could ride an old railroad and visit historic homes and old-town commercial buildings. My favorite part of the entire town was the general store. I was fascinated by wall to ceiling shelves of merchandise, antique toy souvenirs and 10¢ old-fashioned candy sticks yet there was more to the fascination for me. In the general store I felt connected to a magical and energetic meeting place of the past. I could imagine store clerks greeting town’s people by name as they chatted about the latest merchandise and happening around the town. At some time or another, everyone from the town would visit the store and because of this, the store clerk would know everyone. Without much effort the store clerk would be responsible for spreading news, event promotion, introducing new members of town, and even match-making. I am willing to bet in the 19th century through mid 20th century towns all over the world, when a store clerk from the general store passed it would a tremendous loss for many. From memories of warm greetings to an understanding of individual needs, the clerk would be honored for their efforts of social responsibility. read more »
