COLUMN: It's Just a Country State of Mind: The old Variety Store

The other day I came across a photo of an old store that brought back a world of memories. As a child, my parents used to take me shopping at a little store in the small town of Gosport. Some of you might remember the name of it: Moore's Variety Store. The store was owned by Gosport residents, Bob and Irene Moore. It was located on Main Street and had an attractive storefront that just seemed to draw people in.

My first recollection of the place probably goes back to around the age of five. The store was a feast for the eyes for a kid like me. The store had candy, soda, chips and a big collection of toys. The toys ranged from pop guns to yo-yos, coloring books, dolls, airplanes, model car kits and the list went on and on. And then there was the candy. Some of the candy was contained in large glass cases so that the customer could see the contents from every vantage point. There were gumballs, chocolate covered peanuts, peppermint sticks and jawbreakers. There were jars of licorice and displays filled with candy bars.

Of course, Moore's supplied the town with other needed items as well, including sewing notions, household items, toasters, irons, dishes, tools, gifts and greeting cards, paper, and school supplies.

I guess the one thing that stood out to me the most as a child was the owner himself. Mr. Moore always had a smile on his face when greeting customers, and Irene always seemed to know exactly where an item could be found if asked. It was a place where neighbors met and where new friends were made.

When I was older, and I had my first child, I began to take her to the little variety store. My daughter and I made regular weekly visits to the store, even though she could not have been more than a few months old at the time. As the day of her first birthday approached, I had decided that I wanted to give her a special gift, a keepsake.

One day we made a special trip to the store where we were greeted as usual with a big smile and a little conversation. And then I explained how I was looking for something special for a little girl who was turning one year old. Bob smiled really big and said, "I have just the thing for you." Then he pulled out the cutest ceramic piggy bank I had ever seen. It even had a name glazed into the underside, "Corky Pig." It was so named because it had a hole in the end of its nose with a cork that fit snuggly into it. There was a slot on the top to put the money in and to get it out, you would remove the cork. When I saw it, I knew I had my gift. Bob wrapped it up carefully, and Corky became a new resident of my home.

Many years went by and the piggy bank not only held my first child's pennies, but continued to hold countless pennies, dimes and nickels over the years for all four of my children. It brought a lot of joy to our family, long after the variety store had closed. Eventually, my children grew up and started their own lives. The little bank made its way to a box in my closet.

One day, I was looking through some things and came across the old piggy bank. Its cork was missing but other than that, time had been very kind to the little pig. I remembered that my oldest daughter had a birthday coming up. I thought it was time to return the pig to its original owner. I cannot express in words the emotions that I felt when I gave my daughter that old piggy bank. For a little while, we were both transported back in time to a little variety store in Gosport, Indiana. The old store closed in the late 1970s after being in business for 57 years.

That piggy bank held more than just pennies all those years. It was a bank full of memories. I often wondered if Bob knew what I was getting when he smiled and handed me that little piggy bank. I'd like to think that he did.

Happy spring!

Susan