The Town Grew Up Around It.
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
United States
February 9, 2019 5:48pm CST
Three men sit out on the porch of a tiny general store. They shoot the breeze, chatting about old times and new times. Grandbabies and Great Grandbabies. None of them mention the big box store across the road. None of them mention the widening of the road that took a few yards off from their property.
Regulars come and go from the store, filling up their gas tanks and buying chewing gums and tobacco, a candy bar for their missus. Not as many come in as once did. No new customers have ventured in at all, despite the big box store that sits in front of the tiny gas station.
Business is steady, but only because of the kindness of a few good people. Even the neighboring houses have stopped patronizing the store.
Three men sit on the porch of the tiny general store, none of them mention the big box store across the road.
Based off of a tiny little gas station that we pass on the way to the thrift store. It has been there for many years. The big box store has only been there for the past two.
5 people like this
7 responses
@internetmom (101)
• United States
10 Feb 19
This is a nice story. We have stores here like that and I wonder how they stay in business.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
I wondered that myself. I always see two old men sitting outside of this one. Well, I see them if I pass by early in the morning.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
This is just a tiny blip of a gas station. It has a little store in it, but the store is smaller than the newer standard gas stations. The store across from it, well actually two stores, are a sports store and a a guitar store. Not related at all, but the building hides the small gas station.
I'm sure they must get some sort of customers at the gas station, but it looks like a dot against a vast landscape of housing and development. I think the gas station was built in the 70's, maybe earlier. There is a "Established in" date on the sign, I need to pay more attention to the next time we go by it.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
@LadyDuck Was it family owned and operated?
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (460403)
• Switzerland
10 Feb 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum We had a tiny gas station in the center of our village, it was there since 1920, it closed last month of January.
@Tina30219 (81549)
• Onaway, Michigan
10 Feb 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum Very True. They want their Woods so they can hunt
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
Well, this is just a story. It's based on truth, and I imagine the men wouldnt' want to think about that store sitting where woods once were.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
Or else has enough money that he doesn't worry about the loss. It could be the sentimentality that keeps it open.
@Shavkat (137259)
• Philippines
11 Feb 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum It could be one of the reasons. It would be nice if the owner owned the place. If not, it will be closed.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
11 Feb 19
@Shavkat The owner does own the place. I mean, he doesn't pay rent for his building or anything like it. He would need to have revenue coming in, and I guess it does. I haven't heard anything about it closing.
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
11 Feb 19
This is another of your pieces which has the potential to become a longer work of fiction. :)
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
11 Feb 19
I don't think I could. I was groggy on the way to the thrift store. We passed this little gas station which we've passed a million times before. I've seen it siting there all my life. The idea just popped into my head.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
12 Feb 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum All big ideas start as little ones.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
It's a sad one though. If I can manage it, I'd like to take a picture of the store. I'd have to do it if we get caught at the red light, which we hardly ever do.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
@just4him Well, I don't drive anyway, but yes. Though I do have a friend who has managed it a time or two. On rural roads when she was able to slow down.
1 person likes this
@just4him (308693)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
10 Feb 19
@ScribbledAdNauseum It's impossible to get pictures while you're driving.
@RasmaSandra (74146)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 Feb 19
Keeping a business going big or small is always a problem. Someone I knew once said that a small store can keep going as long as a handful of people still patronize it.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
10 Feb 19
I imagine more than that patronize this one, but everytime I go by, it's just two or three old men sitting on the porch of the store (really just a tiny gas station) and shooting the breeze. It makes me want to go up and say hello.
1 person likes this
