Getting by "on the cheap"

As I drove through my neighborhood, the planted flowers immediately caught my eye.

I continued driving up the street...but the more I thought about it, I had to turn around and go back.

Flowers outside of a business in my neighborhood...spending extra time and money on making their place aesthetically pleasing...is pretty much unheard of. It amazed me how much of a difference this little row of flowers made!

As I drive through South Dallas and look at the stores with broken windows taped or plastered over with old signs, faded and/or peeling paint, poorly hand-painted signs, old structures, trash laying around, and rusted buildings and poles, it's depressing.


The business owners (most of whom don't live in our neighborhood) don't seem to take any pride in their business or in our neighborhood. I guess they feel like it's ok to get by "on the cheap." It's ok to let things look old, dilapidated, and run-down because 1) it's not their neighborhood, and 2) the people in the neighborhood don't have other options and will have to shop there anyway.

So, I want to commend the radiator business for taking pride in our community and planting the flowers. Even looking at that picture (especially compared to the others) changes my mood. Looking at it seems to make me sigh and relax. It sounds crazy that a few little flowers can do that. But when you look at things, like the other four pictures I posted, day in and day out, it's amazing how a little burst of color...a little grooming...can make a big difference.