The View From The Cheap Seats 7-19

The View From The Cheap Seats

By: Al Cavasin

Let’s face it folks – All bacon is good bacon, amiright? Well, that is very true! But in some philosophical circles (such as those peopled by Dr.’s Ammerman, Norris and Haugen) there travels a hypothesis that some bacon is better than others! That may come as a bit of a surprise, I know… In fact, many people say that the absolute BEST bacon is available for purchase in very limited quantities at Concord Meats and Sweets right here in the budding metropolis of Concord! Testing proves this; and we all know that testing also proves that testing works, don’t we?
So what’s the point? Well, I thought you’d never ask!
Just yesterday, the Lovely Linda and I ventured to CM&S to procure our supply of bacon for our coming trip Up North, opting as we fairly consistently do to purchase our goods from our local merchants. On the trip home we remarked about how fortunate we were to have a business like CM&S within 2 miles of our house. Our talk then turned to the Shaded Wagon, Brigham’s Hardware, the Cadet (my personal favorite), Sattler’s, Jax BBQ and Blossom Farms. We’ve made purchases from all of these and many others here in our community lately, partly because they are close, partly because they are convenient, partly because I know these people, I like them and I want them to prosper, and partly because they have committed their time, their treasure and their talents to making Concord a better community. We owe them for that.
Having owned small businesses most of my adult life, I understand the astronomical challenges they face in locating, establishing and trying to survive in a Township as small and remote as Concord, and in so doing I believe they have earned my support. But most importantly I support them because I want to preserve my right to choose. I’ve grown to love living in America where – in almost everything I do and every place I go – I have options. And I will do anything to preserve this greatest of all liberties: the right to choose. What’s more, I recognize that in order to preserve that right, I must shoulder an obligation.
I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m knee deep in a project and I need a tube of caulk, a box of screws, or a piece of pipe; or when I’m working up a roast on the grill and I need more charcoal, or a few ears of corn, or I have guests and I need to take them out for a beer – I don’t want to be forced to drive 12 miles into Albion or 14 miles into Jackson. I want to be able to take a 3 minute run to see a friend or a neighbor, here, in Concord and satisfy my I need.
Look, folks, I’ve said this a dozen, dozen times before and I’ll say it a thousand more – if each adult of voting age in our township would make it a point to spend another $10.00 per week locally, we would have another $18,000.00 pumped into the Concord economy. That money STAYS here and it WORKS here – for our kids, for our schools, for our recreational facilities, for our community. Your community.
It may come as a shock to you, but Meijer’s, WallMart, Menards, Lowes, none of them give a damn about Concord, or your kids, or you. But your local merchants do; they have to, they’re your friends, they’re your neighbors – they live here, too!

‘till next time…