For about the past seven years, I have been keeping up with the regular media mention of the possibility of a Wal-Mart in Abingdon.  There are those for it, those against it and those who probably don’t care.  With the building plan yet again up for debate in this morning’s Bristol Herald Courier, I decided that enough was enough and that I would offer my two cents—what they’re worth—to the world for consideration. 

Building a Wal-Mart in Abingdon has certain truths to it.  Number one:  It would secure jobs for certain Abingdon residents and those who live in the surrounding communities.  With a store in the community, who wouldn’t want to retrieve buggies and perform clean-ups on aisle nine because some snot nosed teenager thought it’d be fun to drop a gallon of milk.  Number two:  In this tumultuous time when healthcare or the lack there of is the only thing that matters, Wal-Mart does in fact offer most of their employees healthcare.  The quality I’m not sure of, but it’s there. And finally, Number three and perhaps the most compelling argument for most people—it gives citizens of Abingdon an unwavering supply of toilet paper, underwear and .55 frozen burritos when you need them most—at 3:00am. 

Let’s look at the evidence above…I’m convinced, aren’t you?!  Let’s build tomorrow!

Wait a minute…that wasn’t me.  Sorry.

So, why wouldn’t people want a Wal-Mart in Abingdon?  Let me tell you.  First of all, have you looked at Abingdon?  It’s beautiful.  It’s serene.  It’s everything a little town should be and more…I’ve looked forward to living there one day for years.  It’s being called “the next Asheville” for its amazing atmosphere, local art and small business focus.  Abingdon is the one town in Southwest Virginia that most other towns in the region are trying to emulate.  They have meshed historical beauty with a small town economy and it works for them.  They are prided and talked about the world over because the town has a feeling to it.  What other town is like that?  None that I’ve been to recently.  Yes, Abingdon has its “Hamburger Hill” district as we called it in high school, but that’s just a minor blemish on the town’s surface—a town that single handedly has more character than most people I know.  That’s saying a lot, by the way.

My advice to you, Abingdon is this:  Progress is great.  I love it when it’s done right, but is it really progress when you add a Wal-Mart to your landscape when there is one literally 10 miles away?  Don’t build.  It’s like that guy/girl you see at the bar after one too many and you think about asking them to dance, but your gut tells you no.  Don’t dance with Wal-Mart.  You’ll thank yourself in the morning. 

Shai Cullop

This entry was posted on Friday, September 4th, 2009 at 4:26 pm and is filed under Economic Development, SWVA Lifestyle, Washington County. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.