Supply Run
Time to get more supplies. I'm trying to use real money to help me see how much I'm really spending. The $10 and $20 bills shrink before my eyes. Should I grow a vegetable garden this year or try to barter for services? There's local talk about 'Economic development' that I hope means more prosperity. Seems there are three ways to approach the problem. 1. You could go with hat in hand and beg Santa Fe and Washington for a little hand out from their banquet table I paid for by our own taxes]. The requirement is to agree with whatever stipulations they impose. 2. You could dress up real nice, flatter and try to seduce the CEOs of big corporations to move in and take what they want, in hopes that they would really care for you and not just for a big profit. 3. You could push yourself to try a job or start a business (win or lose for freedom to develop your abilities, help support your family and gain self- respect. Since I love freedom and good food, I'll go to a couple of long- time businesses to get some advice.
I had my favorite breakfast croissant at Taco Village. Tina Monada, the owner, is a lovely business woman who seems relaxed with everything under control in spite of all the customers inside and outside the restaurant. Although raised in Cottonwood, Arizona, she frequently visited her aunt in Grants and finally moved here with her husband and three children in 1984. She started working in Taco Village in 1985 and bought the place 21 years later. She didn't change the name or furnishings in order to keep the spirit of Grants alive. There's also the pictured presence of her father Paul playing music as well as enjoying a trip to Las Vegas with her mother Juanita. The restaurant does have the feeling of visiting family to enjoy a good cup of coffee [with refills] and a meal-even for some of her out of town customers. She survived the lockdowns of COVID and worker shortage by filling in and not giving up. She inspired her grandson to start his own business [and learn bookkeeping by getting a CPA].
Lunch (the best chile relleno I've ever had] at Rosie's. Mrs. Chavira and her husband had a laundromat since 2009 until handing the reins over to their son in 2021. Instead of relaxing, Rosie followed her dream of 'always' wanting a restaurant to give to the community her grandmother's and her own family recipes, “something different”. Hopefully her children (Roy and Jackie] and grandchildren will carry on the tradition while being together each day a mealtime in her place. She knows the requirements of a successful businesslong hours, hard work, treating people so that they feel happy and respected, showing employees enthusiasm, pride, not talking down to them and not asking them to do things that you wouldn't do. There are also the details about location, building maintenance, menus, equipment and good help. Since it's a family business, it's important to sit down together, make a commitment, and to have learned perseverance and maintenance skills from a resourceful strong father. Rosie said there are four important qualities to keep a family together-respect, love, communication and humility. Being with them in this light, colorful, happy place-it's easy to feel their deep love for each other.
Today's lesson: Commitment to family makes it easier to make a commitment to the community. Four qualities are important to keep us together- respect, love, communication and humility and the most important of these is love.