My mom was the school nurse at our rural elementary school for almost 20 years. She cared for a whole generation of our town’s residents, personally. She couldn’t go anywhere without seeing a student she knew, a parent she had spoken with, or a child she had comforted at some time in their developmental years. Whether at the center grocery store, golf course, town tennis courts, the bleachers at high school games, the gas station… everybody knew her and she knew everybody. That was 1980’s small town America; when people used first names, sealed deals with handshakes and eye contact, had mutual trust, and shared common goals for the community. At Himalayan High we still believe in that idyllic utopia. We believe that feeling of togetherness continues to exist in the hamlets of Becket, Lee, Washington, Hinsdale, Cheshire, Otis, and the surrounding areas.
Everywhere we go, we talk to people who reminisce fondly about the good ole days of yesteryear. Back when Charlie the milkman delivered glass bottles of dairy to your front step and Claire behind the counter at Papa’s would take an IOU for your burger if you forgot your wallet, because she knew she was going to see you at little league over the weekend. These same people who yearn for the close knit communities of their youth too-often wake from that dream and pick up their morning coffee from the drive-thru at Dunkin’, then go buy their eggs and milk at the regional Walmart. A distorted voice takes your breakfast order through a speaker, and an unfamiliar hand gives you a styrofoam cup through a sliding window. Then, strangers from out of town wordlessly watch as you self-checkout and wave a receipt at them. That isn’t small town, help your neighbor America. That is buy cheap, low quality products from billion-dollar national companies that see you only as a consumer. That $4 cup of coffee and your $20 Walmart tab does nothing for YOUR community. That money goes to corporate offices in other states and to their stockholders. Nobody you personally know benefits from that transaction. We’re asking you to do better. Keep your money in the community. That’s why a lot of you live out here in the first place. Talk the talk, walk the walk.
When you shop with us at Himalayan High, or Papa Bob’s, or Paige’s Place, or the Knox, or Sherwood Shop, or Rt. 8 Pub, or Agave’s, or Joe’s Diner, or 51 Park, or Shaw Pond Club, or the Russel Inn, or the Otis Egg Farm, or Ozzie’s…. you know your dollars are going to stay local, and the effect multiplies. You help employ your neighbors, goods and services are locally sourced, and you get to have friendly chats with people who live near you. And it snowballs. Like the good old days. You are helping you friends and neighbors, your kid’s friends, and former classmates succeed and thrive so they can give back. You buy coffee from them, and they pay you to plow their driveway. You stop by Rt. 8 Pub for your usual Saturday dinner, and you chat with your daughter’s teacher at the next table. This is old fashioned commerce. People you have known for years, who have different strengths and weaknesses than you, connecting and bonding over the values you hold in common as you look them in the eye, hand them some cash, and receive a homemade sandwich or a freshly made cup of coffee.
When you go to the Knox, your server might be a friend you haven’t seen in years, except when you go in for a bite. You might tip them a little more because you KNOW them, and feel good about helping someone you have a shared history with. These are small towns and these are tough times for many. Big businesses who trade on Wall Street don’t need your $5 or $10. That coffee and donut from DD is unnoticeable to them, while that same breakfast at Paige’s could make a difference in the family’s quality of life. Not to mention you get a better quality product. This is the point of the entire “Shop Local” theory. Buy better from closer with a personal touch.
We have scores of customers who recognize our bud tenders, and we know each of them by name. They are part of our Himalayan High family and we have a genuine interest in their well-being. We chat about their pets and families, discuss upcoming concerts at Tanglewood, and know what kinds of cannabis products enhance their daily experience. We know that Bill finds benefit from our topicals, while Allan mostly buys multi-packs of pre-rolls. Sue has a better night’s sleep after a ratio-ed gummy, and Mark is all about the sativa concentrates. If you go to a massive, warehouse style, equity fund-owned dispensary, they won’t know you as a person. You’re just a sale that helps the bottom line. We’d rather be your local neighborhood dispensary where your purchase helps people who matter in your everyday life.
