New Harmony Welcome? .....

We decided on Labor Day to go to New Harmony, Indiana.  Wendell said, it's Labor Day; it'll be busy and touristy but I said, come on, let's go anyway.  We were both surprised.  Let's just say from now on I'll choose to remember quaint little towns like this as they used to be and not try to go back ...

We've been to New Harmony in the past on holidays and experienced that lively feeling of being with others and enjoying the beauty of the village and the shops and the surroundings.  All that's left of New Harmony is history and memories. 

As we drove into town we were greeted by these banners on every other post and I had a premonition of what we might be seeing on the ground ...

There was almost no one parked along the streets downtown and we had no problem finding a place in the shade.  We walked the business district on Church Street then went around the corner to Main and walked it for a couple blocks, both sides.  I would say we saw about 10-12 other people on the streets total.  Most of those were going into the restaurant.  The word I'm looking for is "sad".

Only four shops and one restaurant were open downtown.  (The Red Geranium was closed; that's where we had hoped to eat lunch.) But times have changed.  What was usually one of their busiest days of the year was definitely not this year.  But why would anyone want to come here when this is what you're greeted with at each door?  This is how just a few of the businesses were greeting customers ...

So would you ring the bell or knock, wear their rubber gloves,  take a mask if you didn't have one (we did), have your temperature taken?  I asked the woman who "greeted" me (and I use the term loosely) at the door of The Mews with a thermometer in her hand if she was a nurse.  That's where I drew the line.  I wasn't asking to enter a hospital -- it was a shop that sells things that are not necessities.  So we ended up looking through one antiques shop and one soap-making shop.  

Here's what Main Street, west side, looks like now.  Every shop is vacant.  Again -- sad.  What are we doing to ourselves?!  (The one on the right used to be a wonderful book shop!)  Historic towns like this will die and all of that history will be lost.

As I got into the car I walked out into the street and took this photo.  This is the main east/west street through New Harmony.  This says it all.

On the positive side, we had a beautiful day for a drive, saw some lovely country back roads scenery, got some walking in, bought a delicious cantaloupe at a farm stand, and found a restaurant in Poseyville for lunch where we enjoyed chicken livers!  Yum!  

So I leave you with this (again): I've said it before, it's my theme, I start each day by looking at this thought written on a post-it on my kitchen cabinet where I get my coffee cup:

LET YOUR FAITH BE STRONGER THAN YOUR FEAR!