The beginnings of life are joyful times – births, weddings, college days, baptism. But the things of this world and this life come armed with ultimate endings. The date is unclear in my mind, but over 54 years ago, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, my Daddy invited me to ride with him to check on the new grocery store he and his brother Herman had commissioned Red Jennings to build at 309 West Emery Street. They were excited, having out-grown the chicken wire mesh walls with padlocks and tarpaulin covers and the sawdust floors of the original Green Spot site on the corner of Emery and Pentz Streets. For me, that was the real beginning. This morning is the beginning of the end. We will close the Green Spot Supermarket, Inc., in three weeks – unless the flow of traffic tells us to go away sooner. It is a day that I never anticipated, really never thought would come. That long ago Sunday afternoon, the store was small (I didn’t know at the time). The width of the building was the area where the front windows reside. Its depth was about 30 feet, ending just short of the little office near the registers. The meat market would be in the “back yard” of that starter building. We built on three, maybe four times. We bought adjoining property. We prospered to the blessing of a large number of people. But four years ago, when my Daddy passed away, he took it with him. He used to jokingly carry a photo in his pocket of a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer. He didn’t know the significance in reality. When he was gone it was lifeless in a quick fashion. I took it personal for a time, but I finally just took it to mean he was a bigger-than-life personality. The plan is to make an attempt to sell what we have in stock for three weeks. We have bills that never stop. It was a great ride. I turned 65 in June and I don’t guess I will have a lot of luck finding employment. But I still have a volunteer position with my Father in heaven and I enjoy the work, so I will continue to do the things I have been doing at The Well. My sisters are keeping their thoughts for the future quiet. As it always has been, Dalton will be my home.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 12:04:53 +0000
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