A CVS pharmacy is being built in Trafalgar. And specifically, for someone like me, who grew up there, it should be written like this:
A CVS PHARMACY IS BEING BUILT IN TRAFALGAR!
To most in Central Indiana, this is not a big deal. There is a pharmacy, grocery store, shopping mall, gas station and Starbucks within 5-10 minutes of anywhere in the area.
But for certain places, places like Trafalgar (home of my alma mater Indian Creek Braves) where there is one stoplight, a Dairy Queen, and a couple banks - this is a huge deal.
I rolled into Trafalgar on Tuesday afternoon to conduct an interview with a middle school track sprinter for our next issue (she's really, really fast, by the way). And as I pull into town, lo and behold, my wondering eyes gaze upon this construction site on the corner of State Road 252 and 44.
The sign in front reads: "Future home of CVS." Immediately, I was shocked. I felt the urge to pull over and process it all. What did this mean? Was Trafalgar becoming a commercial hub? What happened to my hometown? It used to be cornfields and open road, baby.
Maybe I'm overreacting (o.k., I am overreacting). It's just this notion you have in your head of what home looks like. You head off to face the world and all of its challenges following high school fully expecting to find everything the way you left it.
Well, as I've learned, you can go home again - it's just a different kind of home.
I make it down to Trafalgar about twice a year, to usually visit with friends. I've been slowly realizing the place was changing for years, following the addition of a second gas station about 10 years ago, the installation of said stoplight (we used to be a four-way flashing stoplight kind of place) and the expansion of the high school.
But this CVS thing just put it over the top for me.
In a way, I'm sort of jealous. When my family and I lived in the area, my friends and I would drive 30 minutes to see a movie, to eat dinner, or to go to the mall. So let me make it clear this isn't a bad thing - anytime you don't have to travel more than 15 minutes to get to the pharmacy it's a good thing.
It's not like I'm going to picket the area to stop construction. It's just, well...different. Suddenly, my small town isn't quite so small anymore. And time marches on.
Let's wrap this puppy up with some links of interest:
- The 2008 high school baseball season is underway and there's already been a huge early season upset.
- Final congrats to the Brownsburg boys basketball team on their Milan-esque victory over Marion last weekend at the state finals.
- The April issue of HSSTM will hit newstands on Monday, but the digital magazine is available now.
Posted by: Jim on Thursday, March 27, 2008
As someone who lived in Trafalgar for a short time, I find this just as shocking as you do. Very humorous take on the whole thing. I probably would have pulled over, too.
Posted by: Devin on Thursday, March 27, 2008
funny...I always thought Trafalgar would get a truck stop before it had a CVS. Do you think their trying to modernize the image of the town as more than just a pass through from Franklin to Bloomington or Greenwood to Martinsville. I also wanted to tell you I looked at the April issue - that's a really cool cover.
Posted by: Aaron on Thursday, March 27, 2008
Could this event mark the end of the commercial and retail dominance of Trafalgar Square?
Posted by: JR on Thursday, March 27, 2008
Ha Ha! Nice article! I’ve already accepted the fact that Trafalgar is changing. I remember when they were widening the four way stop to accommodate two lanes in every direction and how much fun we had with all the orange barrels!
Posted by: Brian Moore on Thursday, March 27, 2008
JR: LOL...I'm thinking of the "Bob & Tom" radio skit: "Orange barrels, orange barrels, everywhere I see...orange barrels, orange barrels, looking back at me."