Shops, Stores and Balls

I was talking to a friend not long ago, and she said something that I’ve pondered over for the last few weeks. She asked how the Civil War Balls were going, and then she said, “I’m so glad that you are offering the Balls. We haven’t been in a long time, but it’s nice to know they are there in case we want to go sometime.”

Her comment got me thinking about all the local shops and stores that I have liked that have gone out of business recently. Most of them have been places that I have rarely frequented such as a cute antique store in Cambria or a specialty paper store in Atascadero, but I was sorry when they were gone. It made me wonder if, in some small way, I might have helped these shops that I enjoyed stay in business had I frequented them more often. Maybe if I had told my friends how much I enjoyed shopping there and how I always found just what I was looking for, they would have purchased things there too.

I guess what is true for the local shops is true for the Balls as well. If everyone had the attitude that the Balls would continue whether or not they attended them, they would probably find that another activity they enjoyed was no longer available. My hope is that the Balls are valuable enough that people will continue to make the effort to attend and invite their friends because they always find just what they are looking for.