Hardware stores are the place you go when you don’t know exactly what you need, but you know they’ll have it if you just talk to the right person. Concord has more than one hardware store. Being a South End guy, I go to Aubuchon’s.
Saturdays I load up the dog and we do our Saturday ritual. The bank, then the coffee shop, last we hit Aub’s. Sometimes I go just to say hello, but I usually buy something. Jeff, the manager, is one of those guys who can smile you into buying things you didn’t know you needed. It might take a while to figure out when and where you’ll use it, but he reassures you that it will come in handy someday.
Having a small industrial business I go in several times a week to buy everything from screws to spray paint. A week seldom goes by that we don’t need Jeff’s expertise.
Jeff Ginn retired last week. I’ve known him for 20 years and will find it hard going in and not seeing his friendly face. Sometimes a store is more about the people who work in it than the nuts and bolts they sell. My biggest regret is that I didn’t get to say goodbye. Jeff is one of those guys who doesn’t want to make a fuss over things.
So goodbye, Jeff. I hope you have a great retirement. Rumor has it if you stop by a local restaurant at McKee Square you may catch him having breakfast. Leisurely.
TOM IVES
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