Happy New Year!
Gail and I have just gone through the most disjointed Christmas of our 39-year marriage. We have just moved from Huntsville, AL, where we had lived for 28 years, to Asheville, NC, where we know nobody. It has been chaotic.
Funny, but what we miss most—after the many good friends we left in Huntsville—are the suppliers who provided us with goods and services.
I have always been a salesman, so have tended to think that the seller benefits most from a transaction. I was wrong. The purchaser benefits most.
We miss Terry, who sold us several computers and serviced every one of them exceptionally well. Now we have computer problems and no Terry to call. We have no doctors, no dentists, no church, and no “favorite” grocery store. (We do have a veterinarian. Gail saw to that first thing.) We have no plumber, no handyman, and no drug store. (We do have an electrician. I lucked onto him and he has already been a big help.) We have no insurance agency. Those jokes about the insurance man aren’t so funny when you need one and don’t know, as they movie put it, “who ya gonna call.”
There’s a lesson in here for all suppliers of goods and services. No matter what you’re trying to sell at the moment, chances are the transaction is more important to the buyer than to you. I well remember the first airplane I sold retail. The buyer was Riley Brothers’ Poultry. I was excited about that sale. It was important to me. I needed the commission.
Funny, we spent that commission almost immediately. They kept that airplane for something like 12 years. To whom was that transaction more important? Me, or the buyer? (By the way, one of the Riley brothers is the current governor of Alabama.)
A truly great value is provided by the seller/supplier that delivers reliable, ethical, consistent service. Gail and I are quickly realizing that we can find all the suppliers we need. What we don’t know is how to find suppliers with all of the qualities we desire.
So take pride in what you do and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Mase–
Why indeed?
WE were appalled at how much “stuff” we had accumulated. Got rid of a lot of it. I remember one day I took ten cardboard boxes of books to the library and donated them.
“What fools we mortals be.”
Thanks,
Ralph Hood
Hiya Ralph,
You could say it was a moving experience. I have had a few of those over the years too. Courtesy of a turmoilious airline business, my family including our teenage sons moved 5 times in 4 years to keep the paycheck rolling in. Chicago, California, Wisconsin, Iowa twice…..
You haven’t lived until your son says, “But Dad, but Dad, I’ve already been to THREE middle schools….”
Now that we are settled in what we hope is our final sunny retirement home, I opened a box of stuff and discovered it was packed in a 1986 San Diego newspaper. If I haven’t needed it for 20 years, why do I need it now?
Enjoy
Mase
Avsig
Capt Randy–
Aw, he’s probably right. Let enough people “like us” in and there’s no telling what’ll happen. Funny, though–both my [arents are buried in this state, as are so very many other relatives. ‘Course I have more relatives still living here. Oh, well.
Happy New Year, friend, and best wishes.
Ralph Hood
Sir Ralfus - Hoky smokes, gotta bet he’s got a whole passle’o'friends, has to be with a “tood” like that, huh? Seriously, now that you’ve done gone and moved, how’m I supposed to hassle you about “life down in Red Dirt, Alabama”?
Strange, the few time I’ve been lucky enuf to get to KASH, brought the B-29 “Fifi” into there once, drove in once, flew in once, gave Bob and Linda Morgan a ride on down to Charlotte from there once, always great people those times.
Life is g-o-o-d right now up here in the far frozen nawth, listening to WSM-Nashville (streaming) right now, be nice to move also but - after reading yours - the thought occurs “What’d I do without my friends and contacts right here?”
best, randy
Sidney (Hope that’s your first name. Can’t tell, since you didn’t choose to use your full name)–
Well, you’re probabl;y stuck with me. I kinda like the place. Always have. My ancestors lived here way back, and seems to me that I have more dead relatives buried in Mecklenberg County than I have live ones in the rest of the world. Hope “people like” us don’t drag your quality of life down too much.
Thanks for the advice,
Happy New Year!
Ralph Hood
P.S. Maybe you should tell your state to quit advertising what a fine state it is (and it really is)–or do most of the people here want more “people like” us?
If North Carolina does not meet with your expectations, please don’t feel you have to stay. Every road has an out-going, as well as, an in-coming lane. For each flight in, there’s a flight out. The state is being rapidly overpopulated by people who haven’t contributed to the state, are here to take what they can get & don’t care about our history or culture. It’s people like you that are bringing our quality of life down. We don’t don’t need anymore permanent “Guests”.
Mr. Fussell–
Asheville has something for everyone. What stuns us most is that Asheville is very near to so many truly great outdoor sites and a zillion miles of hiking trails.
Thanks for writing.
Ralph Hood
Ralph Hood
Ralph, what I have heard about Ashville is its great restaurants - good and healthy food selections. So I hope you like those type of activities. A friend of mine has a daughter fresh from college working in Ashville at one of the chain restaurants - she likes Ashville so well she won’t leave.