My Country Store Childhood

My family lived in a big white country store in Vale, North Carolina. I was born in it; a doctor from a nearby town delivered me. The building consisted of only four large rooms. Three rooms in the back were our family living space and the large room in the front was the store.

We sold everything from plow shears, Wolverine shoes, overalls, soft drinks, nickel cookies, ice cream, sandwich meat, cheese and other groceries. My parents pumped gas for 30 cents a gallon at the two gas pumps out front.

Directly across the dirt road sat a rural post office. Nearby was a grist mill. On the hill was a church we attended every Sunday. I could stand on the porch and see the whole community.

I loved my life in the store. I got to meet and play with all of the children who came with their parents to buy groceries and fuel. Our friendships have lasted a lifetime of good memories. I attended school with most of the children. We always remember playing at the old store.

My parents had a new house built less than a mile away from the store. I cried when I found out we had to move. I didn’t want to leave the store. We moved into the new house before electricity was hooked up by the power company. I soon came to love this house in a short time because we had so many conveniences, although I will never forget my first home in the community, living in a country store.

Shelvey Pasour, Oak Island, a member of Brunswick Electric