A Sticky Wicket

Sometimes certain delicate situations arise when you live in a very small town.  It's not that the situations are unique to small town living, it's that you don't have the benefit of an anonymous solution.  In fact, I don't even want to say too much here... on a blog that few people read... in the off chance that it might offend the offenders.

But here's the thing...  If the owner of a service-oriented shop in a small town provides less than stellar service, what is a resident to do?  The economy in Michigan stinks.  The economy in small-town Michigan is even more dismal.  Every few months another shop downtown closes.  And our "downtown" is only one block long to begin with!  So if the one bakery or the one widget shop treats you rudely, you do not have the option of taking your business to another local bakery or widget shop.  I'd like to keep our money right here in Mayberry but that isn't always possible.

I realized this morning that several elements of baby's party were coming from the neighboring town of... uh... Shawnee.  It's one thing when it's circus peanuts from the CVS in Shawnee.  Mayberry doesn't have a CVS.  I had to hit up CVSs in the surrounding towns of Chester, Shawnee, Salty, Ann Arbor and Adrienne to get enough circus peanuts.  (But they didn't cost me anything, thanks to ExtraCare Bucks!)

It's a different ball of wax when what I need is available right here in Mayberry but I just don't want to get it here.  Folks at the party might ask, "Nice widget.  Did you get it at the widget shop here in town?".  None of my friends are the gossipy type.  Word doesn't travel because anyone sends it on its way deliberately... but it does travel.

On the other hand, I think this lack of anonymity is a good thing.  It forces us to be careful in our actions and in our words.  We can't just mouth off thoughtlessly since we have to live with these people.  Possibly for decades.  So we need to find a way to get along.  These situations are a good exercise in tact and diplomacy.  I'm still working on it.  I was not pleased with the widget shop owner's customer "service".  She needs to learn how to speak with customers.  I'm just sorry that I have to leave town to get our party elements.