More on Wal-Mart

This is the second piece about Wal-Mart that the Missourian ran this week. I was especially touched by the lead of this article, describing a house that is going to be demolished soon. I visited that home just a couple of weeks ago. Though the lead was a relatively good one and described the house factually, it did not capture the feeling of the lot at all. That was the saddest house I've ever been to. It just oozed desolation. The doors and windows were already gone then, all except for one beautiful lattice-paned kitchen window. The fridge was still in the kitchen, and bits of personal memorabilia were scattered randomly. There were games and a couch in the exposed garage. All of the other furniture was gone, and you could walk right through the opening of the front door and see the trees in the backyard. The feeling of death was strangely juxtaposed with the colors of autumn, which were at their height that week. A tree in front was losing leaves, and the front yard looked like it was carpeted in red. A few feet away was the site for the new development. Right now, it's a field, and a beautiful one at that. As I walked through it, I kept thinking how picturesque it was, and how much I wished I had brought my camera. Actually, the first thing that popped into my mind was, "Wow, someone could have senior pictures taken here." It was a perfect backdrop, and apparently is the perfect site for a new Wal-Mart. It breaks my heart to think that it could be maintained if Wal-Mart had listened to their attorney's advice and bought a different site a few years ago.