![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/new-carryiout-225x300.jpg\")
Since winter has actually arrived in the Midwest, my neighborhood walks have been short. Even though my pace is brisk, I keep an eye open to notice new things.<\/p>\nSince winter has actually arrived in the Midwest, my neighborhood walks have been short. Even though my pace is brisk, I keep an eye open to notice new things.<\/p>\n
A few weeks ago, I spotted a \u201cComing Soon\u201d sign in a storefront window along Lawrence Avenue. The corner spot used to be occupied by a taqueria which served a great bistec Mexicana.<\/p>\n
The \u201cComing Soon\u201d sign referred to a new Thai restaurant. Sure enough, during today\u2019s walk, I saw that it had, indeed, opened.<\/p>\n
A colorful sign displaying some of their specialties occupied the glass panel near their door. Their seating section was modest in size. When looking past their sign, I didn\u2019t see many people inside, but I have become accustomed to not judging a business by its in-person crowd as carryout orders can keep a restaurant quite busy.<\/p>\n
Perhaps, what they offer is not very different from other Pan-Asian spots nearby.\u00a0 Still, I was pretty happy about the siting. I feel inspired by people bringing something new into the world.<\/p>\n
I used to date a man who would wear a worried look on his face whenever we\u2019d drive around the neighborhood and see a new business, a bakery or bike shop. He was usually eager to try a new eatery but seemed to be in a hurry to visit.<\/p>\n
He was convinced they\u2019d never \u201cmake it.\u201d So, sampling their fare needed to be done before they had to close. I guess the idea of a new restaurant opening brought on conflicted feelings for him.<\/p>\n
I have seen my share of restaurants and button shops and pet grooming places open and close. I often feel sad about the personal loss a business closure represents.<\/p>\n
Financially and psychologically, someone, often a whole family, invested their savings, their hopes and dreams into launching a new enterprise, and I am aware that recovering from a related loss might take a long time.<\/p>\n
But I always want to greet my awareness of this new life, and a business is like a newborn baby, with abundant good wishes and hopefulness.<\/p>\n
Of course, some people are addicted to new things in ways that don\u2019t seem life-affirming to me.<\/p>\n
For instance, I\u2019m not always crazy about new technology. Improvements in ease or enhanced functionality are welcome. Often however, 2.0 or 3.0 versions of products are introduced simply because the manufacturer or developer had not introduced something NEW in the past year.<\/p>\n
I cringe at the idea of \u201cbigger is better,\u201d even if it\u2019s presented as \u201cnew and improved.\u201d\u00a0 I don\u2019t look at big box stores and new developments that don\u2019t leave room for neighborhood farmers markets as improving my life.<\/p>\n
Lately, I have also been struck by people voicing the desire to go \u201cback to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Understandably, people have grown weary of the social restrictions related to living in a pandemic, but time does not go backwards.<\/p>\n
We cannot re-live \u201cOzzie and Harriet\u201d or even \u201cFull House\u201d \u00a0lives. I think it\u2019s more beneficial to keep some focus on creating something new. Notwithstanding the chaos of these times, we can give thought to good things that promise to be \u201ccoming soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
We\u2019re paying more attention to addressing problems like food deserts and different types of social inequalities. We\u2019re considering the meaning of family to us as individuals and many are making different choices about how they want to live.<\/p>\n
And how about space travel and electric cars? Not too long ago, I would not have thought about cars that didn\u2019t run on gas.<\/p>\n
We can adapt AND move forward. We can exercise hope.<\/p>\n
Counting Teslas in a parking lot is no small thing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Since winter has actually arrived in the Midwest, my neighborhood walks have been short. Even…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[632],"tags":[763,761,756,759,760,54,758,757,762],"class_list":["post-7579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weekly-blog","tag-back-to-normal","tag-bigger-is-better","tag-coming-soon","tag-full-house","tag-new-and-improved","tag-no-small-thing","tag-ozzie-and-harriet","tag-pan-asian","tag-tesla","grateful-dozen-something-new"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n