There's a little IGA store in St. Albans, West Virginia. It is a
small family owned grocery store and they go out of there way to take
care of me everytime I go in there. I have mentioned them before
because they go out of their way to special order the salt free tomato
juice I need. They don't charge an arm and a leg for it either so I can
afford to get as many as I want - usually 4 to 6 a month.
There
are lots of bigger chain stores along the way as I drive to get there
but my need for the tomato juice isn't enough to interest any of them in
carrying it...or if they do it costs so much I can't afford more than a
couple of them.
But that isn't all that is special about this
little store. They bend over backwards to help me with my purchases -
including loading them in my truck for me. Today the little old lady
that runs the register even had someone there to unload my cart and put
my stuff on the counter to get rung up.
It was most appreciated
since I started having chest pain a few minutes before I decided it was
time to go. I don't make a big production out of it. I just rest in
the aisle when it happens and make my way out of the store.
I go
out of my way to purchase more goods at the little store. I want to
help them stay in business. I don't get a lot of stuff because their
prices are too high but I do get what I can manage to afford. I believe
in supporting mom and pop stores anyway - not just the ones that go out
of their way to help me.
They have a deli. I avoid it because
deli food is usually loaded with salt. Last month I was walking by when
the lady was putting out a freshly fried chicken breast. It smelled
and looked so good I couldn't resist it. For $3 I got a humongous
breast and bought a tiny thing of potato salad to go with it for lunch.
It was scrumptious. It was so scrumptious that I got the same thing
again today and I will probably do it next month as well.
I don't
eat much fried food so this one transgression shouldn't hurt too much I
hope. Especially since that chicken breast is so big I actually ate it
and the potato salad for 2 meals.
Anyway
I'll keep going to the little store. Not because they have groceries -
I can get them anywhere and cheaper for the most part. What you can't
get is the kind of service they offer and they are so friendly about
it. I used to assure them I was fine and didn't need the help (when it
was obvious I did). They just brush those protests off and is much
better to just accept the help gracefully and say a heartfelt, "thank
you."
