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Roberta Hofmann's avatar

Beautifully expressed truth. I am 76 and remember the little store a few blocks away and being sent there for bread.

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Terri Suwwan's avatar

How much I miss civility.

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Sandi Smith's avatar

I was soundly struck by your statement, "Social media gives us permission to insult without consequence." You absolutely hit the nail on the head! I belong to several FB groups about old houses and am horrified by how rude people can be about others' decorating or color choices! I miss the gentler, more thoughtful days when I walked to the neighborhood store for my mama and was greeted by sweet Mr. and Mrs. Cooke.

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Southern Voice's avatar

Here in NC, their names were Mr. Yates and his wife, Miss Inez. Loved those walks to the store - especially in the summertime:-)

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Karen R Prather's avatar

So sad to see these previously important buildings going to rack and ruin.

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Elizabeth Poland Shugg's avatar

I couldn't agree more! Well said.

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Michelle Adams's avatar

I’m only 55, but I remember with great fondness The Little Store” in Hephzibah, GA. My dad would send me with a note allowing me to buy a pack of smokes for him, and penny candy for me with the left over change.

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Southern Voice's avatar

I was in Hephzibah two weeks ago to photograph the former Methodist church just past the high school. Small world.

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Michelle Adams's avatar

Oh my goodness! My Latin teacher’s husband was the pastor there in the 80’s. Pastor Wall. It is a small world!

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Michelle Adams's avatar

And, “The Little Store” was on HWY 88 between Traylor St. (the st. I grew up on) and Windsor Spring Rd.

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Marge Legg's avatar

So very true and accurate. I recall an old store, similar to this, on what is now Old 52 in the little town of Welcome, NC. Welcome at that time had a population of about 500 on a good day. Old hardwood floors in there, the long Coca Cola cooler and just about anything you could need on a trip up and down Hwy 52, including a friendly conversation. Sorely missed. M. O. Haynes country store.

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Ronald C. Welch's avatar

Nice. Very nice. Growing up there were places named... Philip's and Dupree's and Glass's and Taylor's and Farmer's and etc etc etc. We knew the proprietor and their family... and they knew us. Really not fancy places but they had what we needed and wanted at a fair price and they were truly thankful for the business. We were neighbors just doing neighborly business. It was...Civil.

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