NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Change is coming to Decatur in a big way with the closing of the General Store and the upcoming sale of the Peterson land. There is no way to tell what will happen next.
While a closing date for the store has yet to be announced, the shelves are growing bare and a final liquidation sign hangs outside.
Change can be good and change can bring opportunity, but it isn’t always easy. I tend to be apprehensive about change. It’s much easier to cling to the familiar than to step into the unknown.
It’s hard to watch the General Store close. Not only for the practical reasons, but the sentimental ones as well.
There are plenty of practical reasons to be unhappy about its closing. The community will lose a great local place to shop for just about anything, the employees will lose their jobs and the city will lose the sales-tax revenue.
But its also hard because the store is so full of the essence of Decatur. It is unique in a time when most people do their shopping at chain stores. It has a good selection of basics, when basics are hard to find. And then there are the employees. Shoppers will not be helped by a stranger at the General Store, evenif it's their first visit to Decatur.
The entry to the store sets the mood for the seasons in a way no big box store can, whether it’s cozy in the winter, with wood stoves and sleds on display, or cheerful in the spring, filled with plants ready for the garden.
I felt profound sadness walking through the General Store last weekend. The shelves have begun to empty and everything is marked down.
The store is so full of memories for me and I’m sure for my fellow Decaturites as well. When I was growing up, the store was called Decatur Discount Center, or DDC for short. As in “I’m gonna run down to DDC, I’ll be back in a minute.”
I don’t really remember when or why the name was changed to the General Store. I still call it “DDC” by accident every once in a while, which gets funny looks from people who weren’taround back then.
My shopping memories start early. When I was 4, I saved my money to buy a pair of purple pantyhose - not tights like a little kid would wear - but real pantyhose. I have no idea what the distinguishing factor was, but I do remember they cost 99 cents.
I made a lot of trips to DDC with my best friend and neighbor, accompanied by either her parents or mine. There were so many things to catch a little girl’s eye, like plastic wading pools and Barbie doll clothes.
But DDC offered much more than fashion and toys. I remember making trips to the store with my Dad when he had to take a break from his Sunday afternoon project to go get a few extra nails, a piece of plumbing or a lawnmower part. I always loved going along to spend time with my Dad and I knew I was almost guaranteed to get a candy bar or a treat.
Back then someone used to set up a few small carnival rides in the parking lot during the Decatur Barbecue, along with the traditional sidewalk sale.
I can distinctly recall how proud I was at age 11 when I used my own money to buy my first horse a bubble gum pinkhalter with a matching feed and water bucket at DDC.
As a teenager and adult I continued to visit the store to pick up some supplies for my horses, an extra bag of chicken feed, some hardware for a project or just to browse.
I remember many times waiting on the bench for Jerry, the pharmacist, to mix up a big batch of medicine when all of my children got sick at once and needed two or three prescriptions each. It was quick, easy and close to home.
I worry the closing of the General Store will make the community grow apart and I worry that it will take away one of the places that makes Decatur uniquelyDecatur. But most of all I worry how the closing will affect the employees, who are my neighbors and friends.
Perhaps the closing of the General Store will make room for a new retailer or business to come to Decatur and bring more jobs than before.
Decatur existed for many years before the General Store opened and I’m sure our resilient little town will continue on just fine in the future without it. Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel sadness as the store and everything that goes with it becomes a thing of the past.
Janelle Jessen is a reporter for the newspaper who lives in Decatur.
Opinion, Pages 6 on 09/05/2012