What is it about Country Stores? .             What is it About Country Stores?                     by Mrs. Sharon White      I have always longed for a life in a rural community. We finally bought a genuine country store about a year and a half ago. It has a large front porch with a bench for customers to sit and chat. There are old wooden floors in need of repair. The front screen door slams shut, and a bell rings to let you know a customer has either come in or gone out. My husband cooks all day. He makes pizza, steak subs, French fries and hamburgers. Early in the morning, before the shop opens, he is busy preparing fresh eggs, toast and bacon for sandwiches to feed hungry customers on their way to work or for those who are heading off to hunt in the immense forest all around us.     Local residents shop in our store several times a day.  We enjoy visiting with them and often let them put groceries on an "account" to pay us later. Tough times make life harder in rural communities and job lay-offs may come unexpectedly. It is reminiscent of "The Mercantile" that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book,  Little house on the Prairie, during the 1800’s.  While we are cautious, we’ve come to trust loyal residents, of our small town, to re- pay us. I cannot count the number of times, we’ve given away pizza slices and lunches to customers who looked sad and weary,  just to cheer them up. These were items leftover that usually go to our own family. We gladly share what we can.     We’ve had special lunch requests come in. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich or tuna fish sub, not on our menu, is quickly made for a hungry child. All the leftovers can easily be eaten by our own children. . . We have five.     My husband is most often seen on the front porch talking to customers after making them a mid-day meal. They have become fast friends. Many times he’s even kept the store open to talk to a customer out on that porch, late at night, because it’s wonderful to just visit.     Our children range in age from 7 to 16. They are all home-schooled. We love having them home with us and working alongside us each day. During the afternoon, my teenage daughters enjoy their "shift" working the register. They hear all the news of the neighborhood, help wait on customers and "run" the store.  Many times they’ll order food to take home, and enjoy, after work.     My 11 year old son loves to help his father stock the shelves and repair whatever needs to be fixed. The younger children, ages 7 and 9, just play. You can often see them giggling in the store and getting a snack as they entertain each other while I work the register at night. We are living the American Dream- working together as a family.     Many times we’ve worried about competition from other stores. There is a major supermarket in the next town. You can also find Mobil convenience stores and Cumberland Farm shops. When I walk inside their stores I am shocked and humbled by the technology and modern set ups. I’ve often wondered if we should upgrade our store? But then I’ve come to my senses and learned to stay focused. A country store is a little piece of history. It is snow covered farms amid the landscape of Vermont. It is Norman Rockwell paintings, Summers by the lake, innocence, and grandmothers baking apple pies in a wood-burning stove. Our country store is nostalgic. It is the kind of life I’ve always wanted to live. And while it is hard to struggle with the long hours, it reminds me of the many immigrants who made this country great. There’s just something special about country stores......                 November 8, 2004           HOME