Why 2 miles is the longest distance on earth

I've been so lucky in the past 19 months to have this fun and funky little coffee shop, Coffee to a Tea, exactly 4/10 of a mile from my house. I went from being a frequent customer to feeling like the ladies who own and run the shop are family - and the feeling is returned as evidenced by the recent addition of Lilah as flower girl in the family's youngest daughter's wedding.

So it is with a great sadness that I learned they have decided to move their shop downtown to Augusta Rd/Main Street.

Even though it's only something like two miles from my front door.

This is a great move for them; they get ZERO traffic in their current location because the shop is located right past a train trestle, slightly off the road and so people often drive right past and never see they're there, even though they are RIGHT THERE. Moving downtown gives them the opportunity to expand their business many fold. But there was just something about being able to pop down to the end of the street for a sandwich or a cup of coffee and not have to fight with traffic or parking or any of the other trappings of the downtown area.

Even though it's only something like two miles from my front door.

So - I'm trying to be happy for them instead of sad for me. They've asked me to help manage their merchandise, which they want to have now that they are moving. And that is fun and exciting!

The one thing I am angry about is the lack of support they got from this neighborhood. Granted, I live in the hood, but it's the "artist" part of town. All sorts of creative people work around them and the main offices of Upstate Visual Arts is here, so you would think that artists plus coffee would be a natural relationship made in heaven but it didn't happen. Instead of throwing business their way, UVA would offer it to more "obvious" restaurants who are located downtown. Using local businesses is great, but why would you not support the business 1000 feet from your offices??

And the people in the neighborhood are a mixed bag. You got folks like me, and you got folks who wanted the shop to still serve hotdogs and cheeseburgers. They want Coke, not coffee. But it just made the neighborhood better by being here. They were kind to all who walked through the doors and they just set an awesome example for some of the neighborhood's more suspicious residents.

So, I'll miss my own personal coffee shop/extension of my kitchen living room less than half a mile from my front door...even though...well, you know.