You'D Understand - Both Audio and Text - W-Illustration

Because they’re typically such delightful places to live, as well as being far safer to raise a family in, it breaks my heart to see what’s happening to so many small struggling communities all over the world. You’d Understand My wife and I were strolling ‘round our tiny town one evening, hand in hand (we always did), the streets were rather bare, Something we would often do if not too cold or windy…our little ritual, once a week, one loop around the square. We’d made this little circuit in our small New Hampshire village almost every Friday night for forty-seven years! But on this night - both of us were very deeply saddened - when we discovered something that would bring us both to tears. Long ago, the fire hydrants stood like little sentries…standing guard for quaint cafés and charming friendly stores. Fancy fluted streetlights, burning gas…their fires dancing…lined the streets of cobblestone and warm inviting doors. Year by year, the tiny shops had fought to stay in business, and - though a bunch could not survive - a few are holding on. But now the one we’d always hoped would somehow win the battle… now the one we’d always prayed would last ‘til we were gone… Wore beneath its gilded sign the words: “We’re out of business.” I was fighting tears, as Kathryn softly squeezed my hand. This had been the oldest jewelry store in Benton County! The one where I had proudly purchased Kathryn’s wedding band. And where I’d always purchased little trinkets for her birthdays, and where, for forty-seven anniversaries, I'd stop To pick out something special for my very special lady. We prob’ly own at least a hundred items from that shop. Just beside the entry door, in great big whitewash letters, passing headlights briefly lit… “This building is for sale.” We would stand there, brokenhearted, quietly reminiscing...having feared that, someday, like the others, it would fail. Pinkerton has always been a lovely place to live, but little stores just never could survive the test of time. Still our minds could clearly see - reflected in the window -- “Howard Baxter’s Barber Shop,” and, “Woolworth Five and Dime.” And - just across the street from where we were - there’d been a bak’ry, a beauty shop, and a twenty-table pool room years ago. It was “dry,” - and family run - yet rarely all that busy, and how they stayed in business for so long I’ll never know. Two doors down was the Butcher Shop, then, “Millie’s Family Diner.” Millie’s pies were famous for their soft and flaky crust. Next to that, the movie house, and then…“Stellinga’s Hardware.” Then, standing on the corner was - “New Hampshire Bank and Trust.” All these things are gone now…and the town is slowly dying…and there are those who say that - “This is how it has to be.” But if you’d lived in Pinkerton…just fifty years ago…you’d understand why me and Kathryn - strongly disagree.