Oxford Creamery in Mattapoisett

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Time for remembrance. Time for summer. Time to get to work.

When I was a kid I had three different jobs: a paper route, cutting lawns, and scooping ice-cream. One person I met at all three was, “the customer.” At the first job, the paper-route, I didn’t see the customer every day, but I would if I missed a house, got bit by their dog, was late, or needed to collect money. At the second job, cutting lawns, I’d see them if I missed a spot, got stung by a bee from their bee box or needed to collect money. And at the third-one, scooping ice-cream, there was a never ending line of them out the door, especially on hot summer nights. I met the Little League teams, the vacationers, the daters, and the rest of small town Mattapoisett.

Ned’s Point Lighthouse in Mattapoisett

The best feeling in the world was knowing the customer was happy. And I would know that by how I felt inside. And, to me, that’s capitalism. It’s not Wall Street or leverage. It’s a simple, special relationship between you and the customer—someone I will make sure both of my kids meet at an early age. Because at the end of the day we all need the customer.