You’ve got that friend — heck, it might even be you — that whines about everything.
“When’s it ever going to get warm?”
“Oh! It’s too hot outside!”
“This country is too liberal. It’s going to hell!”
“This country is too conservative. It’s going to hell!”
“President Obama is leading this country to hell!”
This example of whining I hear, though, is the most ridiculous: “There’s nothing to do in
Yeah … right.
This county has the best parks and recreation department in
Want a fantastic meal? There are plenty of places — including the critically-acclaimed Chef and the Farmer and many others — where you can impress a date, your wife or a prospective business person.
Want a delicious and unique beer brewed in our very own backyard? Steven Hill and the good folks at Mother Earth Brewing will hook you up in a minute.
There are more churches and opportunities for worshipping the religion of your choosing in
The state’s newest and best gym facility — the
Nothing irritates me more than that whiner who bemoans the fact there’s nothing to do in
The common refrain in the previous paragraph is people want to complain but don’t want to take action … which takes us back to those of you who try to convince others there’s nothing to do in
I know the economy has changed dramatically in the past decade but it hurts my heart to pass the old Blockbuster Video site on
The coincidence? Both are empty because you and I didn’t support what filled their premises.
And it’s going to continue to happen. I frequent Bellini’s on
Bellini’s offers a delicious buffet lunch (inexpensive, too!) along with great service and a great dinner menu. But here’s the rub: it probably is not going to stay in business much longer if folks don’t support it.
Bellini’s is just a microcosm of some of the outstanding restaurants and businesses that have come and gone in the past 10 years in Kinston and Lenoir County — because too many of us spend our money in Greenville, New Bern, Jacksonville or Goldsboro. If we took the money we spend on cars, clothes, entertainment and food outside Lenoir County and spend it here at home, we not only help those businesses stay in business, we help ourselves by adding to our own tax base.
The next time you complain about nothing to do in
Bryan C. Hanks is the managing editor of The Free Press; his column appears in this space every Sunday. You can reach him at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at BCHanks.