In the Plaza Midwood section of Charlotte stands a dive bar called Thirsty Beaver Saloon. It is dwarfed and surrounded by a multistory townhome complex.
The neighborhood has changed in the seven years since I was an Uber driver in Charlotte. It was sort of an eclectic, working-class area with quirky shops and bars and restaurants and murals. But development has crept in and the addition of the townhouses have given the area a more antiseptic "hip" feel. I suspect the transition will continue as more and more people move in and housing is needed.
Yet, Thirsty Beaver Saloon stands.
The owner has been offered untold sums of money to sell. And offers have been increased. And again. Yet, the refusals have been firm.
There are four parking spots here. Everyone else either parks at a pay lot up the street or walks in from the neighborhood.
I remember the hassle of picking people up there for Uber because of the proximity of the parking to the sidewalk and a very busy street. But, it's the sort of quirky place I love to visit.
Thirty Beaver Saloon got a boost in publicity when Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger made a visit there unnoticed last September.
https://twitter.com/MickJagger/status/1443554633906020359?t=2gpgPpj8Fhdj4G908RIBuw&s=19
So, as I thought about what to do for my daughter's birthday, I decided to take her to Charlotte for the day and just hang out. And this was one of the places I took her. I had her pose for a pic, although in hindsight I wish I had put her in the same spot as Jagger.
As fun as this little side trip was, and getting a chance to tell her the story of Jagger's visit and about the bar itself, I thought it offered a good object lesson for her.
Your values are not worth any amount of money to compromise.
Life may offer you more than you could ever want for you to give in - to compromise. Yet, there is something to be said for standing firm for who you are.
Not a bad thing for a 20-year old to learn as continues to mature and become an adult.