Change can be difficult for many people. Letting go of things that we’ve held dear for so long, things that are comforting, familiar… that can be a very scary thing. But change is inevitable, whether we like it or not.
Faces in Northampton is slated to close in early 2015
I was reminded of this while working on an upcoming story for WGBY’s Connecting Point recently. Faces in Northampton, a store so iconic it’s become almost synonymous with the city, will be closing its doors soon after 40 years in the Valley. Owned and operated by the Vogel family, Faces in many ways epitomizes the region we live in: it’s unique, charming, quirky and undeniably local. I recently visited there, and when I talked to the customers, most expressed a sense of loss and sadness that something they know and love will be no more. I have to admit, I felt the same way – Faces is one of my favorite things about the city of Northampton. Then I spoke to Jack Finn of A2Z Science and Learning Store, another long-time Noho business, about the changing face of downtown Northampton, and he made me look at it a bit differently. Where others see a loss, Jack pointed out the obvious: there’s an opportunity for someone there. An opportunity for someone to come in, work hard and build something out of nothing, something to add value to the community –just like the Vogel family did when they opened Faces so many years ago.
A loss or an opportunity? Like so many things in life, it’s all in how you look at it.
