Published: November 18, 2007 01:06 am            

Company’s coming

Thanksgiving is coming up this Thursday. At our house, this year’s Thanksgiving means 19 of my in-laws will be coming in from all over the South – from Atlanta, to Corpus Christi, Texas – for Thanksgiving this year. Needless to say, we are in full-scale red alert at our house, cleaning and decorating and trimming and cooking.

You see, we are proud of our new house and we want our guests’ first impression to be favorable, especially since most of the female in-laws have Martha Stewart like qualities (the good ones) while I, on the other hand, did not inherit the decorating gene on my side of the family. Of course, when our guests arrive, we will treat them with a great big dose of Southern hospitality and we will do as much as we can to insure their stay is enjoyable and memorable. I’m sure most of you would do the same.

I make this point about my house and our guests because Meridian and our surrounding communities will be hosting company this week as well. At my house, our company will be leaving the day after Thanksgiving. For Meridian, a whole new set of company will be arriving the day after Thanksgiving.

Next weekend (the weekend after Thanksgiving) is the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Meridian is the retail hub for at least nine surrounding counties, and our highways and parking lots will be overflowing with cars from our neighbors.

Our mall, our local shops, and our new Bonita Crossing shopping center will be teeming with holiday shoppers. Our area restaurants will also be filled with hungry shoppers seeking a little nourishment and a lot of rest after a day of bargain hunting. Yes, company is coming and we need to be ready.

How will we treat our guests?

When our company arrives, we need to give them a good impression of our community. This responsibility does not fall solely on employees at our retail stores and restaurants – ALL of us must be mindful of our guests. If our guests are treated rudely in our stores, in our restaurants, in the parking lots, or on our streets, that will become their impression of our entire community. They will choose not visit us anymore, and they will tell their friends and neighbors.

Instead, we must treat our guests politely and courteously. At times, this may be difficult as we also face the crowds in the stores and long waits in our restaurants. This is the point when attitude makes all the difference. If we choose to be nice, then we make our experience as well as our guests’ experience much better.

Some of my favorite Letters to the Editor are from out-of-towners who were treated with extraordinary courtesy. It makes me feel proud of our community and reminds us all that we are called to help others when they are in need. This holiday season, let’s all strive to be just a little more courteous and patient with each other. I can’t think of a better way to treat our company.



Crystal Dupré is publisher of The Meridian Star. E-mail her at

cdupre@themeridianstar.com.

        

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