Conversations at Fred's News usually revolved around newsworthy events, local happenings or good old fashioned gossip. We recalled 9/11 and how patrons huddled together as one big family, waiting, watching and listening to the old TV, perched high on it's shelf, in the back of Fred's News. Most places have the new flat screened TV, but at Fred's, the TV was not the main focus of the visit. Although food was more of a reason to stop by, friendship and strong "family ties" were a major draw. If you stopped by only for a moment, it was a great way to make your day. Seeing friends and perhaps family, catching up on the local happenings or just passing time, Fred's News was a hot spot.
Just as world events shape our lives, cause concerns and untimely worries, sharing it with your Fred's News family was, in fact, a way of coping. Yes, we watched the horrors of 9/11, the tragic funeral of the beloved Princess Diana, and after receiving a phone call from son Mark in Florida, the tragic space shuttle Columbia's unsuccessful re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Although the TV was watched more for sports, weather or other entertainment, the tragedies viewed by the Fred's News patrons will always be remembered. Sometimes, sharing these devastating moments in a safe secure and friendly atmosphere, helps alleviate unnecessary worrying.
Recent events in Japan, the earthquake and tsunami are just such an event. Early morning arrivals at Fred's would of been our first "on the scene" reporters, telling us to turn on the TV. Breaking news is all over the channels. From that point on, with each visitor, increased coverage would begin. As we sit here in Florida watching these events unfold, it hard to leave the continual coverage, each new photo and report more heart wrenching than the other. Yet, amazing how many emails I have received about the earthquake, yes, many of the questions do involve my current employer Disney and there Disney Tokyo park, but the "family" continues to check in. With each message received, the update of their own lives, continues. There is comfort in knowing, "once a family, always a family!"
Just as world events shape our lives, cause concerns and untimely worries, sharing it with your Fred's News family was, in fact, a way of coping. Yes, we watched the horrors of 9/11, the tragic funeral of the beloved Princess Diana, and after receiving a phone call from son Mark in Florida, the tragic space shuttle Columbia's unsuccessful re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Although the TV was watched more for sports, weather or other entertainment, the tragedies viewed by the Fred's News patrons will always be remembered. Sometimes, sharing these devastating moments in a safe secure and friendly atmosphere, helps alleviate unnecessary worrying.
Recent events in Japan, the earthquake and tsunami are just such an event. Early morning arrivals at Fred's would of been our first "on the scene" reporters, telling us to turn on the TV. Breaking news is all over the channels. From that point on, with each visitor, increased coverage would begin. As we sit here in Florida watching these events unfold, it hard to leave the continual coverage, each new photo and report more heart wrenching than the other. Yet, amazing how many emails I have received about the earthquake, yes, many of the questions do involve my current employer Disney and there Disney Tokyo park, but the "family" continues to check in. With each message received, the update of their own lives, continues. There is comfort in knowing, "once a family, always a family!"
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