"It's The Little Things That Count"
By Capt. Fred Davis
Published: Friday, November 12, 2010




Big cities are so fast paced — everyone is always in a mad dash and everything in the cities is big.

Little things go unnoticed in the big cities but in small towns and small cities like those that make up Huron County, little things stand out and define the people who live here. Events and actions that would be hard to find in a big city are common in Huron County.

In many big cities you could easily spend an entire day trying to find a clean, neat neighborhood. The opposite is the norm in our area. As you drive around Huron County, you just can’t find a bad neighborhood. Even a home that has not been kept up is rare. A messy or distasteful lot is unusual.

While driving around our county, you will find many more happy people than in a big city. Maybe the fresh air makes us all happy. When you stop in a store, notice the people around you — most of them will be smiling. Many will say hello or give you a friendly nod, even though you don’t know them. It is not often you see a grumpy person, but if you do they will stand out because there are so few of them.

Friendly service people are one of the things small towns are known for, especially in our area. People like Andrew, the pharmacist at Walgreens. He is always willing to answer any questions and help you with any needs you may have — in a friendly manner. My heating person, Larry, is a standout when it comes to great service and helping out. He made two trips on one weekend to get my furnace going, and it wasn’t that cold yet. Thanks, Larry!!

Many owners and their service people in our local restaurants treat their customers as if they were guests in their homes. Whether they know you or not, most of them will greet you with a big smile and a happy welcome. I guess all men love a hardware store, and I find our local ones have people eager to assist with your problems. They all seem happy with their jobs. Most of our grocery stores are not big chain affiliated, and the helpers who work in them seem very happy and are smiling all the time. Maybe it’s being around all that good food that does it. If you need help finding something, they are always more than willing to assist and will often guide you right to what you need.

Another business that offers great, friendly service is the insurance businesses around our county. They have people that know how to work with customers to help them, and I believe smiles are part of the dress code.

Another great thing about our county is seeing youngsters playing outside; riding their bikes or tossing a ball or just chasing each other in a game of tag. You won’t see that in the big cities; most kids there would be afraid to be on the streets. You will see fighting outside of the big city schools but that is not something that occurs in our county.

It’s odd how our youngsters can’t wait to get to a big city, but after settling there, they can’t wait to come home. First just for frequent visits then when they are able to, they move back to Huron County. It has been this way for many generations, and I doubt it’ll change any time soon.

One of the very best things about our Thumb communities is our generosity. Every week or so, someone is being helped by people or organizations who host benefits on their behalf. Businesses often conduct activities that benefit those in need. You just never hear of this in the big cities.

In our towns, if a friend or neighbor is having a tough time, word gets around quickly and everyone pitches in to help them out. The benefits are always successful because it seems like we all know one another and we like to share. Maybe that is why we are all so happy — or perhaps it really is the fresh air.

As I see it, after you read this article you should put it in the shredder or give it to your dog to tear up. We really don’t want those people from the big cities finding out how great we have it in our county.

 

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