Pie in the Sky is Not That High

You hear about the good old days, the days when you could buy a candy bar for a few cents, or buy a week's worth of groceries for $10- the time where a grandfather could put a dime in your hand and it was worth a pack of gum or two. A time when a shop owner knew your name and your family. It was when people took time out of their day to talk to you. Those days are gone. I have walked through stores over my few years of life and watched as the prices grew, the stores got larger and the personal touches that came with them faded away into oblivion. I have seen my mother's eyes widen every year as the week's groceries cost more and more. I have watched as the small hometown stores got replaced by larger companies, and the ones that didn’t had to evolve, advance themselves, and lose their natural charm in order to survive. I know that it doesn’t have to be this way, so why is it?

A reason is supply and demand, a familiar concept known to many. When supply is down and demand is high, prices go up. While eventually the prices should normalize again, that isn’t the case. When Walmart started, the prices were near to nothing. They took out all the other stores which could no longer compete with Walmart. Walmart relied on goods instead of food grown in America or better yet, locally. Once Walmart had gotten rid of the competition, it could have done one of two things. It could have continued with the low prices and being able to provide for the community or it could have jacked up its prices taking advantage of the people who had no other choice. Unfortunately it seems as though it chose the latter. But what if it didn’t?

A store like no other could have been the first option. I imagine a store that if I could, I would pull it down from my dreams and make it a reality. I see it in my mind so clearly, a store that can give back jobs to the community that it is in, and where technology isn’t taking over. I imagine store owners who once again make connections with the community and a store that has fresh produce. When you pass by the store you could see plants growing in greenhouses and workers taking care of them; the produce local farmers offer can be in the store within days of being harvested. Not only that, but it is also a store that can manufacture clothes from recycled material, with a small mall inside the store so there is no need to search too far for everything. There would be an in-store restaurant that cooks the magnificent, vibrant, fresh food that comes straight from the store; you can see it being made right in front of you. This is a store that when more people buy, the prices get continuously lower, you avoid the constant spikes of prices. This store's goal would not and should never be to gain profit, but its goal is to sustain a community, both people and nature.

This dream is far in the clouds, but can still be done. Take Bob’s Red Mill, a store that has similar aspects to my dream. It is a store run by employees. Even though my store won't be exactly the same, it needs to have the same concept. I know what it takes to accomplish this. It takes someone who is not in business for money, and will not falter because of greed. It needs someone with ambition and drive, who can open the eyes of people who do not believe. Someone who has a desire to bring back the sense of community, unitie, friendship, and life. I hope I can be this person, and if I am not now, I am going to be because this is more than a dream, this is my passion.