This is Baker's supermarket. A grocery chain started in Walnut, Iowa in 1927 by Abe Baker. My father, mother, brothers, stepmother, sister, countless friends and husband and I have all worked there. In fact, this is where my husband and I met. We often joke that it should be called "Bahle's", which is my maiden name. I worked there off and on for 11 years until 2006 when I finally quit because I was fed up with the changes that took place when this local grocery chain was taken over by Kroger, a national chain. Among many greivances, our customer base suddenly became distant strangers as Kroger made us into a national brand, rather than a local grocer. But this place has supported my family, built a strong work ethic within me, taught me to respect all those working in retail or with the general public and helped me pay for school, my first home and more school. Leaving was a bittersweet event.Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Baker's
This is Baker's supermarket. A grocery chain started in Walnut, Iowa in 1927 by Abe Baker. My father, mother, brothers, stepmother, sister, countless friends and husband and I have all worked there. In fact, this is where my husband and I met. We often joke that it should be called "Bahle's", which is my maiden name. I worked there off and on for 11 years until 2006 when I finally quit because I was fed up with the changes that took place when this local grocery chain was taken over by Kroger, a national chain. Among many greivances, our customer base suddenly became distant strangers as Kroger made us into a national brand, rather than a local grocer. But this place has supported my family, built a strong work ethic within me, taught me to respect all those working in retail or with the general public and helped me pay for school, my first home and more school. Leaving was a bittersweet event.
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Jenny: you shared so much of your life and how you were at home in 2 different cities. I enjoyed learning about your life in Omaha and the sights of your neighborhood, which actually sounds pretty rural. It is sad, in a way, that those open fields and spaces will be turned into housing developments. Still, there will be homes for families who will make their own memories in that place. Congratulations on your wedding; I admit I laughed when you wrote that you now had to share your school space with your new husband!! I loved the story of your family's work history at Bakers (I think that could be a very nice long essay). That work experience was a definite influence on you. Good for you for buying a house on your own!! Your blog certainly shows "a sense of your place" and it was great to read it and to meet you through it.
ReplyDeleteSharon
Jenny,
ReplyDeleteReading your blog reminds me of how much twenty somethings can do and still keep their sanity. Your sense of place reminded me of a person who loves two people at one time, and the complications that go with both of them: Omaha, your original place, Lincoln, replacing Omaha in your affections, and now, back to Omaha.
When you talked about the cornfields gobbling up the farmland, it brought back memories for me. When I lived in Omaha, 132nd Street was basically the west end of the city. You could drive out Dodge Street, and where all the present day brick and mortar structures stand, was the prettiest patchwork quilt of fields a Grandma Moses lover could appreciate.
Jenny:
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting that you recognize Baker's as a valued place. While I haven't had a place like this in my family, I have found myself realizing that about everyone has worked at Dairy Queen in their lives; this has been a fun bonding topic for me and some students :)
You said, "We know that eventually this land will be sold for more housing or other development, just like it was for our neighborhood and we mourn that day." This was a poignant statement for me. It helped me realize how important place is to so many people. I began to think about my own transitions from meaningful places, and recall driving past my deceased grandmother's former house, out of loss and longing.
Thank you for sharing your place with us.
A couple things from your blog struck me. The first being that you are concerned about moving away from your lake. While I don't always feel a connection to Omaha overall, I do feel connected to certain parts. I think that it's interested that while you grew up here, you've come to identify with a particular spot. There seem to be these little spots all over Omaha (and any city I suppose) that are refuges of thought, nature, memory, whatever. Often, they are developed, destroyed and so on. While the recognition that small towns are destroyed which devastates the citizens, there doesn't seem to be much thought given to what happens to us city-dwellers when little spots are taken away.
ReplyDeleteI love reading about the steps—professionally and geographically—people take from finishing college (undergrad) to their next calling. And I admire your close proximity to family (and sweeties)—how wonderful (though I can understand the challenges here, too).
ReplyDeleteA confession? I didn’t know Baker’s was a grocery store. I would hear the ads on the radio and think, what on earth is a bakery doing selling baby carrots for a dollar a pound (emphasis on carrots, not the price)?!