Community

Watching the generations

photo by Robbie Cribbs

One of the greatest joys of owning a business for more than 40 years is watching entire generations grow up and take their places in the world. People who were teenaged babysitters when we came here in our 20s are now grandparents—and in one case, a County Commissioner. Kids who came to the movies with their parents now return with their own children. We especially love seeing dads we had to throw out for bad behavior when they were boys counseling their sons as to proper behavior at the movies.

The overly chatty but adorable middle-school girl who was the bane of my Friday night existence in the 1990s was the well-respected caterer for our son’s wedding. Another young woman who spent many hours in the dark with us at the movies is now a nurse who supported us and our nephew in the hospital ICU this summer. Boys and girls who filled the front rows for years are now grown men and women making movies of their own.

We relish seeing the new generations stepping into family businesses and professional practices here on the island, providing us with a continuity of care. Our own son Brook will be joining us in the business next year, and hopefully his wife Katja will be teaching the children and grandchildren of his teachers.

Over the years favorite patrons have passed on—and we still miss them. New people have become valued regulars. We’ve grown old together. Babies have been born, sat in our booster chairs, come here on their first dates, moved away to make their marks, and returned as adults. In 40 years you really see the whole cycle of life…from the box office window.

 

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2 responses to “Watching the generations”

  1. Diana says:

    We all have our version of this story– from the back, middle, and front seats–even the special upstairs seat you reserve for the immune suppressed. You and Blake have created family here– how rare that the seeds of community would start in the local movie theatre. When we travel, we always stop in small theaters and always cheer them on but none of them has a Magic Change Jar and few donate percentages back into the community. None have seen Fools or Martha Murphy’s plays on their stage. So hurray for the Clyde and may your generational shift be seamless when it happens.

  2. Of course I can’t help but think how cool a time lapse view / film from the ticket booth spending 40 years would be…..-.-.-.-.-.

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