March 6, 2023 - MY WORLD WOULD BE DIMINISHED
I have known James Brown since I opened the store. He rides his bicycle from Lake Avenue and often would stop by to chat. He told me his family came to this area from Alabama when he was a little child. A man used to pick his family up and take them to various farms to pick potatoes. James has a love of music and his bought several guitars from us over the years. This past week he bought a guitar and amplifier and attempted to take them home while riding his bicycle. He then got the idea perhaps he could take a cab. There was no way he was going to bicycle home with that heavy load or fit them in a cab. I even offered to drive him home with my van, but he declined. We persuaded him to pick the amp up the following day. He managed to ride home with the guitar in tow and was back the next morning for the amp. I love James Brown, my world would be diminished without him.
Ben Proctor was a customer even before we open the store. He had visited the house on East Ave. He got his first good banjo at the store while he was going to Eastman School. Now he is a teacher in the public school system but he runs our Bluegrass jams and contributes much, much more to the musical community that my world would be diminished without him.
John Osadnick is a recent customer who has falling head over heels, with a banjo and everything along with it. Additionally, he has become a patron of the arts to several of the musicians in the old time community. My world would be diminished him.
Brandon Masur came into my life when he was a young boy. He is an amazing banjo player who dedicated his time and energy to playing just like Ralph Stanley. He plays in several local bands, and now he is branching out into old-time music. He stopped by the stop at the store on Saturday and picked up a great Brooks Maston banjo. I hadn’t seen such a determined and intense look on the face of a clawhammer banjo player since Adam Hurt came to my house 27 years ago to buy a White Lady banjo. My world would be diminished without him.
Rick Manning, fiddler and music promoter drove in from Ithaca, NY to try out octave mandolins. I’ve known him for so many years that I told him "Rick take it home and play it for a couple weeks and bring it back if not it’s yours to keep. If you decide you like it, send me a check". My world would be diminished without him.
Wayne "Maynard" Rachel Penlon has been a customer since we open our doors. He bought one of our very first guitars. He’s an interesting, traveling musician, and has entertained folks from coast to coast in his own way. My world would be diminished without him.
A week ago, Saturday, Steve Piper, musician extraordinaire, and his bride, Julie Gelfand, photographer extraordinaire, stopped by the store to chat, take pictures and just hang out. I have the feeling that Steve has a banjo on his mind! My world would be diminished without them.
Certainly, without my wonderful store on East Avenue I would never be able to acquire such great treasures as the one I’m holding here! My world would be diminished without this.
MY WORLD WOULD BE DIMINISHED
March 6th, 2023
Good morning folks,
A few years ago, I thought of selling the business and retiring. But what is retirement anyway? It is leaving your job or stopping work because of having reached a particular age or because of ill health. But in reality, I didn’t have any such situation. I think it was just a fantasy, an unreachable and mysterious state of being. Retirement is something that we are all taught is the goal of life, but I have come to a different understanding about "retirement", our business, my role and the future. The truth of the matter is that I love what I do. It is absolutely part of the fabric of my being and I don’t think there’s any way I can shed that. Since we have re-opened the store, Julie and I have been working Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. To tell you the truth, we absolutely love it. We have an opportunity to see old friends once again, to hug, to embrace, to play and hear music once again. When I think about it, that is so much more what I want to do rather than sitting on a dock somewhere wondering what I’m going to do for the rest of the day.
Through the doors of that small store on East Avenue come an array of folks from all walks of life, from all over the city, county, state and country. They are our customers, but they are also our friends who we have come to know and love over the years that we have been located on East Avenue. This week I want to salute some of those friends who have patronized our store over the years and we are welcoming back with opened doors.
Sincerely,
John Bernunzio.
And, of course, holding the entire thing together is this woman, Julie Schnepf, My world would be GREATLY diminished without HER.
Without events like this that I was privileged enough to host: My world would be diminished.
And of course, holding everything together are these two guys, Sam Snyder, and Ryan Yarmel…. My world would be diminished without them.