John, you are just what the doctor ordered!  I needed a laugh and you gave it to me in the form of "price vs. value - prequel." .  This is so very true and in most of my comments this week, I would call them "reflective".  

I think about all the posts this week, the wisdom, knowledge, discussions, conflicts of opinions but what was so inspiring to me at the end of the week was that we stayed "united".  We can agree to disagree, as my grandfather would say.  I think about how deals were done on a handshake!  Remember that?! Our word meant something because there was a certain level of professionalism, values, ethics .... oh, my gosh, I might was well start with "when I was your age ...."!!!!  Sorry.

Were there dollar stores back then?  NO, we had 5 & Dime!  Man, those stores were like a gold mine.  There were alot of "boutique" businesses back then.  Now we have the major corporations and people have become a number just like the dollar store.  

Refrigerator - was actually the name of the manufacturer - what is the real name for the "ice box"?

I have to share this with you because this man meant the world to me and you guys have pretty much figured out it was my grandfather, Opa.  Opa instilled alot of knowledge and that was more valuable to me then his money.  He died at the age of 76 in 1960 - so that tells you his value system.  The story I want to tell you about - It was during the depression and people were loosing their homes left and right.  My dad told me about horrible stories of people jumping off of bridges, killing themselves, etc. because they just couldn't provide.  Families merged together in one house to survive - that's what family values were like back then.  It was expected and you made the best of the situation.  But it was during the depression that people were loosing their homes and my grandfather couldn't stand to see his neighbors in such dire straights.  Opa sold alot of what he owned to keep these people in their homes.  He carried a ton of land contracts for people.  I remember a postman coming into the office and making his final payment (I won't forget the figure $72.63) for his house.  This postman had a criminal record.  Yup, he stoled a candy bar and was caught.  He was not allowed to get a loan.  His final payment was in 1973, 13 years after my grandfather died.  He told me what Opa did for him and how he believed in him. My grandfather believed in second chances (different then the second chances today) and he gave this man and about 150 other people second chances.  

I know the core is there even for those younger then me.  For those of us around my age and older, we have been blessed with some pretty great memories.  I remember my nephews and nieces getting upset when they were growing up because they didn't have the stories to tell that my Dad, his Aunt, Sisters told and then my siblings.  We did a lot of fun things .... like soap the jump for the water skiing - and the developer's kids went out skiing and got stuck on the ramp and went flying in the air!  

Pretty reflective week for me.  But I don't think the doe did anything for the 3 bucks!  Bambi wasn't there!

John, I don't think we have lost the fundemental value with today's generation.  As times have changes, systems have changed and modernized, machines have replaced man in some fields.  We just won't see the handshake deals as often because the times have changed.  Nobody would have thought about sending emails back in the 40's.  But I will say that at one of my opens today, I ran into some really genuine "young" folk that warmed me inside.  I think it's still there, just in a different way.