It's Just Business and Other Promotions...

This week I was talking, well not really talking... I was having a conversation on Facebook with a friend who was lamenting about the small town we live in.  There is a new business that is a coffee house and also has live entertainment.  This week they had a blues band come to town for two nights.  You could see this band perform and there was no cover charge, no charge at all.  They were working for tips.  TIPS!!!!  There were 12 people there the first night!  Oh my goodness!  TWELVE PEOPLE!  You see, folks around here have been asking for a business like this to come around for a while.  My friend was disappointed that now, after having the business here, people weren't supporting it.  I hear this often.  There are a lot of businesses in this town that have closed recently.  I have to be honest, I have thought about it.  There is not a day that goes by that at least one customer does not come in and tell me something is cheaper at Walmart, Bass Pro, Cabelas... you name the big box store, it's mentioned.  It has become a source of frustration for me.  I was talking about it with a customer this week and the customer said something very profound, "People don't have a sense of community anymore."  Is that where we are folks?  Will the 21st century be the end of small business as we know it?  I hope not.  What are your thoughts?

So, now, here is my promotion.  It's not for me, it's for friends of mine.  They have bought a building and are starting a farmers market in their town.  They had the market outdoors for the summer, but their plans are so much bigger than that.  This is the kind of thing that a community can support.  Will they?  Will we?  Well, the question still hasn't been answered as of today.  Here's a link to their project:
 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mjfarmersmarket/a-desintation-farmers-market-in-the-shenandoah-val
No amount is too little or too large.  Either way, thanks for taking a look at it.

Friday night football

As many of you know, I live in a small town.  No, I wasn't born in a small town like Mellencamp sang.  I live in a small town.  So anyway, come fall, football rules life.  The sun rises and sets by football.  When I first went to a game, it was overwhelming.  People worship this team.  Some older men, and I do mean older, still wear their letter jackets.  People really get into the game, as if these high schoolers are pro players.  The atmosphere is electric, especially if it's a rivalry game.

So this last Friday, I went to the first home game.  I ended up sitting next to a player's mom.  I won't mention who the player was, but the kid played a great game.  He plays a pretty big roll on the team.  Two older gentlemen were sitting behind me.  They were ranting about everything- the refs, the team's level of enthusiasm, how the quarterback threw... you get the picture.  So much so, that you could see, it started bothering the mom about halfway through the game.  I leaned over to her and said, "You ever seen the Muppet Show?" She said, "Yeah."  I said, "Those are the two old guys that used to sit up in the box and complain all the time."

So next time you go to a high school game, or for that point any game with amateurs playing, remember that's someone's child your yelling about or at.  Watch what you say while your screaming fanatically at the field and the kids.