As the effects of the pandemic tightened their grip on us, I couldn’t help but think how important it is to get back to basics as a means of coming together against a common enemy.
We
stayed home for days and weeks on end, venturing out for necessities only –
food and medicine. When we began to
circulate again, we focused on all the small businesses in our area. Many of them never recovered. These are friends and neighbors who generally
supplied us with quality goods and services for years and were now thrust into
survival mode.
We did
our best to comply. We shopped for
produce, vegetable plants and flowers at places like Jillybean’s on Route 6 and
Hein’s Farm. We dined at locally owned
and operated establishments, even when hard times forced cutbacks, the sudden need for outdoor
dining and created staffing problems.
We would
all like to believe that the COVID nightmare has passed. The politics of it continues to shake the very
foundation of common sense, but Americans have always persevered well in the
face of adversity. Sure enough, as the
masks began to disappear, the community surged back toward normalcy. It’s that surge that should define the
experience, and we witnessed a sign of it Wednesday morning.
Two new
coffee spots have opened in Unionville recently. We haven’t gotten to Bruno’s on Mill Street
yet, but we went to The Daily Grind in Depot Place to kick off our
pre-Thanksgiving festivities.
The
coffee was great. We had bagels, and
they were also top-notch. But it wasn’t
the food or drink that captured my thoughts.
Two members
of the Farmington Police Department stood near the window. A young family enjoyed their breakfast treats
at a table across the room. Others came
and went. Everybody chatted. Everyone was friendly. Community indeed can be restored if we seek face-to-face communication ahead of that addictive rectangular device in your pocket.
These
are the scenes you don’t see while local and national news reports center on the
hatred that grips our world. We need reminders
that there still are smiling faces out there, people with their hearts full of
holiday cheer, folks who would go out of their way to help a neighbor. I’m not prone to lose sight of life’s
pleasant side, but the national issues are so divisive that it’s easy to lose focus.
Not
everyone is consumed by the dark world of social media, and we’ve
got to meet and communicate face to face to restore the virtues of American
culture that got us though the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, two World Wars,
a cold war, the errorism of 9/11, a pandemic, and terrorism abroad. The guy you may be calling
names on Facebook because of his political views has aging parents, growing
children and the need for compassion just like you. If you had met at the Daily Grind instead of a
forum that breeds antagonism, you’d be smiling instead of cursing.
The
Daily Grind is the realization of a long, difficult process shouldered by a
true Unionville legacy. I’ll call it the
Evan Parsons Project, with all due respect to musician Alan Parsons. When we arrived in town we grew to appreciate
Parsons Hardware in Unionville and the Parsons automobile dealers in Farmington
and Plainville. Evan has now taken the
baton and brings his family name back into the mainstream of Farmington life.
Evan took
the time to chat candidly with us as business flourished. Life has come full circle here and we hope
The Evan Parsons Project bears fruit like his ancestors’ endeavors did for
them. It’s all up to us as residents and consumers. Whether you pay Evan a visit, drop into Bruno’s,
dine at local restaurants and use local services, it’s all money that stays in
the community. Nothing against Dunkin’,
which I believe is managed by people who care, too. I’m hopeful that all three coffee shops thrive.
So what
are we waiting for? Let’s think globally, but act locally and go have a
cuppa Joe!
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