David and I had plans the other morning to go to Rufe Snow to Walmart and Winco for grocery shopping but we also wanted to check and see if there was a Tattoo Parlor we had remembered seeing.
I have a question for you before I share this newest story with you ever. Have you ever started out thinking you were just going to run a few errands, only to end up somewhere you never planned to be?
That is exactly what happened to David and me the other day. David was off, and we were going to get a few things done for ourselves. But, as moms tend to do, I started thinking about Charlie.
I knew there were a few things he wanted to take care of, so I decided to check on them while we were out. I had no idea that one little decision was going to lead us to an entire little shopping center filled with businesses I had never really noticed before.
And the more I think about it, the more I believe the Lord had a reason for putting us there that day. David had told Charlie that he thought there was a tattoo and piercing shop on Rufe Snow.
Charlie didn’t think there was. David and I both thought there was, so David decided to drive down Rufe Snow before we headed into Walmart to see if we could find it. And sure enough, we did which was Ink Life DFW, and that’s where we met Zozie Posy.
Who we were able to sit down, and talk to her, and ask questions about Charlie’s nose piercing, and get comfortable with the idea of him going there. That was important to us.
Before Charlie does something like getting a piercing, I want to know who will be doing it, I want to see the environment, and I want to feel comfortable with the people involved. Zooey Posey did that because a lot of things Charlie deals with she and her boy friend do as well.
That conversation gave David and me the reassurance we needed. And we thought that was the end of our little adventure. It wasn’t. The Lord had a whole lot of adventures planned for us.
As we were pulling out of the parking lot, I turned around and looked back at the tattoo shop one more time. And that’s when I saw it. A barbershop. I asked David to pull back in and he just looked at me like I was crazy.
But that is par for the course when it comes to Charlie and I. Charlie had been wanting a fade, and I figured that since we were already there, I might as well go inside and ask whether they could do it.
So we got out of the car and walked in. That’s how we discovered Domi DR Barber Shop, which is currently listed at 5224 Rufe Snow Drive in North Richland Hills. And that turned into the story of Charlie’s new fade that we shared in another post. But the barber shop wasn’t the only business I noticed.
As I was walking toward the barbershop, I saw a beauty supply store. Naturally, I went inside. I was looking for Paul Mitchell shampoo, so I thought I’d take a look around. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for because the store caters more toward a different hair and beauty clientele than what I personally needed.
But I did find something useful. Bonnets that Charlie likes. So I may not have found my shampoo, but I found something that gave me a reason to come back not only for Charlie for hair bonnets but hair bows for my sister.
That’s one of the things I love about exploring small businesses. You may walk through the door looking for one thing and leave with an entirely different discovery. Or a new place to share with your friends and family.
As we were leaving, I saw another business: Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken. Now, if you’ve been reading Greatful Moments for any length of time, you already know that I’m going to go inside and ask questions. So I did.
And while I was talking with the woman there, I learned that they were struggling and needed customers. That hit me. Because it is easy to drive past a business and think that it’s just another restaurant.
But there are people behind those doors. People working. People investing their time and money. People trying to make their businesses succeed. And sometimes what they need most is simply for somebody to notice them and that is what is happening here at Hangry Joe’s which is currently listed at 5226 Rufe Snow Drive, North Richland Hills, TX 76180.
Just when I thought I was finished discovering businesses, I noticed CarStop. Another business. Another place I’d probably driven past without really paying attention. And by that point, I started realizing something. We had accidentally found a whole little pocket of local businesses. And I wanted to know more.
David and I returned the next day and Charlie came with us. We already had plans for his haircut and nose piercing, so we went back to the area and started exploring more intentionally.
Instead of simply driving through, we were actually looking at the businesses. We were walking inside. We were asking questions. We were seeing what was there. And I started thinking about how many people probably drive down Rufe Snow every single day without realizing what’s tucked into these little storefronts. That’s when I started looking at the area differently.
One of the reasons this little area is so convenient is that Walmart and Sam’s a children’s place along with grocery stores and restaurants are up and down the street making this area the perfect place to shop.
That meant I could take care of what I needed to do for Charlie, explore businesses, and then cross the street and finish our shopping. I didn’t have to spend an entire day driving from one side of town to another. Everything was right there.
And then, on our way home, we passed a QuikTrip, so we stopped and got a soda. It was one of those days where every little thing seemed to fall into place. Thanks to the LORD leading our adventures.
And because this is our family, I have to include this part. While I finished talking to the women in Hangry Joe’s I went to the car and David remained inside talking to her. Finally David came back out, and he had bought Charlie a Hot Cheetos corny dog.
It cost a little more than I expected. I noticed. But I didn’t say anything. Because Charlie deserves to be pampered every once in a while. And this was one of those little things that David and Charlie enjoy together.
Sometimes those little moments are worth more than the few extra dollars. It’s not always about the food. Sometimes it’s about a dad and his son sharing something they enjoy together creating new memories for them.
By the time we got home, I had a whole story to tell Charlie and a whole lot of content to share with you which was a God wink. I told Charlie about the tattoo shop and the barbershop. The beauty supply store and Hangry Joe’s. CarStop and the Walmart across the street. And suddenly I realized that this wasn’t just a place we’d stumbled across. It felt like an opportunity.
I like to believe the Lord Put Us There for a Reason I don’t know exactly what the reason is yet. I’m not going to pretend I do. But I know what I felt. I felt like the Lord had put these businesses in front of me for a reason.
There are small businesses in this little area that need to be seen. Some may be struggling. Some may not have large advertising budgets. Some may simply need somebody to walk through the door.
And I kept thinking: Maybe this is where Greatful Moments comes in. Maybe we’re supposed to tell their stories. Maybe we’re supposed to introduce our readers to them. Maybe we’re supposed to help people discover businesses they never knew existed.
Maybe we’re supposed to shine a little light on people who are working hard to keep their businesses open. I don’t know yet. But I want to find out. I Want to Explore This Little Shopping Center More
I don’t know the official name of the shopping center yet. That’s something I’m going to have to go back and find. And I actually want to do that because I know there are other businesses in that little area that we haven’t discovered yet.
I want to walk through the whole place. I want to see every storefront. I want to learn what each business offers. And I want to give these local businesses an opportunity to introduce themselves to Greatful Moments readers. Because right now, I only know a handful of them. And there may be many more.
For those of you who have been around North Richland Hills and Rufe Snow for years, you may recognize the location because it is across from where Dickey’s Barbecue Pit used to be.
That’s one of those landmarks people remember even after the businesses change. And that’s another reason I want to share the area. Places change. Restaurants come and go. Businesses open and close. But the stories of the people who are there now are worth knowing, too.
I don’t know what this will become and I don’t know what the LOTD is telling me which is why I’m placing it into his hands as I work to share Greatful Moments with everyone I meed. Maybe I’m supposed to feature the businesses one at a time.
Or we’ll create a local shopping guide or we might do interviews. or we might create a series about the businesses in this little shopping center. Or we might photograph the storefronts and introduce readers to the people behind them.
I don’t know yet. But I do know that I want to explore it. Because I don’t believe I was led there for no reason. I believe the LORD is trying to remind me to think outside the box and to get out of my home and talk to people because a business doesn’t have to be all online.
The funny thing is that I didn’t set out that morning thinking: “Let’s go find small businesses to feature on Greatful Moments.” I was thinking: “I need to take care of something for Charlie.” Because as a mom that is what I do first and formost. That’s it.
But sometimes that’s how life works. One little decision leads to another. You turn down a road. You see a sign. You look behind you. You stop the car. You walk through a door. And suddenly you’ve discovered something you never knew was there. That’s what has been happening since we’ve transitioned from TheMommiesReviews which tells me this was the right move.
I’m going back. I don’t know when but I am because on Wednesday I will be visiting another small based Coffee Shop & Business owner and we could all work together. I just need to figure out how.
I’m going to figure out the official name of the shopping center. I’m going to see what other businesses are there. And I’m going to look for ways to help the ones that want the exposure.
Because I don’t want Greatful Moments to just be a place where we talk about our family. Or a place where we share reviews I want it to be a place where we can celebrate other people’s families, dreams, businesses, and hard work, too.
Maybe that’s why the Lord sent us there. Maybe these businesses are supposed to become part of the Greatful Moments story. I don’t know the whole plan yet. But I know I’m going to follow where He leads. And sometimes that’s enough.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates