So today was a wonderful day. :) I was able to vist with a friend I have not seen in ages, and spend most of the day outside in this gorgeous weather. While I was out and about, I stumbled upon an Army Depot store pretty close to campus. After squeezing my body through the tightly inventoried building, I finally stumbled upon the owner, an older man who looked like he had been there and back.
"Quite a stash you've got here sir" I told him.
"Well a lot of this is retail and such, but I have a few treasures I've collected over the years."
He then proceeded to lead me through the winding aisles to the front of the store, where on display sat a FP-45 Single-Shot Pistol from WWII, and a PPSh-41- submachine gun that had seen some wear. These were highly produced in 1945 for Soviet soliders, but slowly deminished with the production of the equally important AK-47.
I stood with smile, merely because I personally did not know the significance of the guns to him, but I sure wasn't going to let him know that. I told him they were purty and he went on gleaming of their greatness.
I asked him if he had any supplies for the aspiring survivalist and he kind of cocked his head and looked at me kinda funny, so I just rephrased my question with "Do you have any cute little canteens or dome tents?"
He showed me to this massive wall of supplies and I began to weigh the pros and cons of each item. He watched me carefully as I picked out some canteens I've been needing, and put the tents back for a better paycheck.
As I was handing over a portion of my income for stylish waterbottles, the man still looked puzzled. So I asked, "Hey, So if the world ever comes to an end, do you mind if I come borrow some supplies?", He smiled and said it would be no problem. As I was leaving, he rushed out with one of the tents I was looking at, and told me to always stay ready. I replied that I would return later on so he could share some stories. He smiled and returned to his homey little store.
On beautiful days like today, it's a great world we live in.
We shall see about tomorrow.
Have a great rest of the weekend. :)
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I believe I know the place you're talking about. The aisles are so tight, you could spend three hours and not see everything. It's a good place to keep on the trot line and it sounds like you and the owner hit it off. You never know when 'who you know' might really matter.
ReplyDelete: )
I went to the place when I was down there last time. I could spend hours and hours in there and still not see it all.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice thing for him to do. I will shake the mans hand next time I am in there just for that.
Amazing how you touch people. You probably made his day. He might just become a friend.
ReplyDeleteGenevieve
Here is a little Mom & Pop place out of California. Our family has been purchasing from them for years and they have always been kind and gone out of their way when we have needed assistance.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.majorsurplus.com/Default.aspx
HossBoss- Yeah it was my first time in there, and my roomate went with me. She was dumbfounded lol But it's a wonderful store I plan to make many trips back to.
ReplyDeleteMDR- Haha I thought it was really nice of him. :)
Genevieve- I hope so. He's someone I wouldn't mind hearing stories from every now and again.
Hilltop Homestead- Wow that's a really neat store. I love little stores like that, one for their inventory, and two for the stories :)
Here from Stephen's blog. I added you to the Gun Blog Black List, too.
ReplyDeleteI just came over from Stephens blog, I started following a few days ago but things have been busy. I look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteI'm also here from Stephen's blog.
ReplyDeleteNext time you go back, see if you can get him to tell you the stories behind the PPSh. I'd be interested in how he came by it, and expect I'm not the only one..
North, Thanks for the comment and I appreciate you putting me on the list :)
ReplyDeleteDuke, Thanks for stopping by. I hope I can live up to the expectations :)
Borepatch, I will for sure. He is a lovely old man who would probably love telling a few stories like that from his time :)
I stumbled upon your blog from “standing outside looking in.” I rarely ever post comments but I read through some of your backlog and felt compelled. One you mentioned the pistol team and what I believe to be Sarge’s and was sure you are at A&M. Though it can be overwhelming at times I can assure you will have friends for life. From running into an Agg in a tiny pub across the pond and striking up a conversation, to the ones you see every day, you are a part of a family and in good company. If you ever have questions or are interested in “war” stories from my years there I would be happy to share. I look forward to reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteChris, Class of 03
Here from Steven's Blog, glad to be here!
ReplyDeleteThanks Keads!
ReplyDeleteChris, how cool is this? That's one of the reason's I picked A&M, once an aggie, always an aggie. I would love to hear some stories from your time here. I'm honored you took the time to post a comment, and I hope we can talk more in the future! :)