Well, the inevitable finally occurred. I saw it coming for a long time, and tried to help in what small capacity I could.

Smith Drug is no more. McKinney's oldest business has thrown in the towel.

Seriously, what local business can compete with Wal-Mart or Target, when people only give a damn about the mighty buck? It isn't even really about bucks. It is more about cents.

Smith Drug had been in business since the 1800s. The service, until the end, was wonderful. They delivered medication, for free, to the homes of their customers. They would loan you a few pills until you could get back to the doctor. They would sell you a doo-dad that you might need, for a quarter, although you'd pay ten times more for it anywhere else. What a wonderful service in the world of people hiring strangers to do what neighbors used to do for free without a second thought, like feeding the dog while you are on vacation, or checking the mail. Or seeing if you are breathing if no one has seen you for a few days.

Back in 2004, Smith Drug tried to find its niche in filling prescriptions for uninsured folks at cost. Business was booming. Smith Drug was making the news. Then, Wal-Mart and Target and others started the $4 generics program. How can Smith Drug compete? They can't even buy the drugs for $4, let alone make a profit. Well, they can't compete, can they?

So, America. You've spoken loud and clear. You want a dirty, limited service pharmacy that doesn't have any leeway to treat you as a human being. You don't give a damn about personal service anymore.

The thing that sucks the most is that many of our prescriptions have the price set by our insurance plans. It doesn't matter where you fill most prescriptions, it will cost the same at an independent or Wal-Mart or even Costco. But if you flock to the $4 place for everything, you get less service for the same price.

My thyroid pills would be $12 for 90 days at the $4/month Wal-Mart/Target places, and the same prescription was $20 for three months with my insurance at Smith Drug.  $0.22 vs $0.13 per day. Well, I guess the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world cost about 1/2 in that instance.

Is this a significant difference in a world where people pay $4 for a cup of chain restaurant coffee that cost a dime to brew, and burn $1.00 in gas waiting at the drive through to collect the coffee? No. But if the cost of generic prescription drugs could be flaunted with pride as a fashion statement, like franchised coffee, Smith Drug would still be around.

Oh and I guess that is another factor. At Smith Drug, there is no drive through. You actually have to park your car and walk a few yards to get into the store. Good golly.

What really irks me is that most of our prescriptions would cost exactly the same at Smith Drug. Going elsewhere didn't save us anything. The Advair would still be $80 for three months. The Proventil would be the same. All your kids ADD meds and your daily antidepressant would cost the same at either Wal-Mart or Smith Drug.

But now you don't have the choice, and no one is going to deliver it to your house no matter how desperate you are.

I hope you are all happy.

Tonight, just as we were sitting down to dinner, I noticed out the window a young person running up the driveway towards two of our neighbors homes. A car seemed to be shadowing this young person, and I suspected that our home would be next to have its doorbell rung by this young person.

I was right. The child and the corresponding car visited our house next.

And, I was pleasantly surprised when our door was opened to a boyscout, in uniform, offering popcorn for sale.

This is the second time we have been approached by scouts to buy fund raising popcorn, and each time I have been impressed by the boy at our door. What a pleasant experience to talk to a kid who can carry on a conversation, look you in the eye, answer a simple question, or two or three, and has pride in his appearance and his associations. I even remember the young scout who visited our last home, so that must have been three years ago at least, his name was Tristan and he delivered a thank you letter with the popcorn.

This was what I wanted for LD when we signed her up for Girl Scouts several years ago. Unfortunately, the Girl Scouts were more interested in makeup (yes, among 4th graders), doughnut breakfasts, and general cattiness. The girls were rude to each other. They were not interested in learning new skills, or cleaning up after themselves, or really earning a badge. It was more about crying when expected to do anything, or calling one another names, or eating sugar.

Perhaps this is why you don't see many girls selling Girl Scout cookies door to door anymore. You really only get to buy the cookies from the parents these days. The girls are all prima donas whojust wear the Girl Scout sash on delivery day or do a token run-through the office with mom. I had the pleasure of turning down a Girl Scout selling cookies in the office and once I said "no", the kid had no pretense of manners.

What a user.