Sean Dengler.

To see the Traer pharmacy close is sad. Hopefully, it will see a similar outcome like the medical clinic with a new organization. It may have been years since stepping foot in this small pharmacy, but it still evokes memories.

After visiting the doctor’s office, the pharmacy was a hop and skip away. There was no need to drive, unlike most places in the city. This easy setup made it worthwhile for the commoners. The only issue might be wandering the aisles temporarily as one waited for their prescription to be filled. The pharmacy was simple, provided a sense of ease, and helped those in need. The service and quality felt better than any Walgreens and CVS could provide.

While there were plenty of instances of waiting in the pharmacy for a prescription to be filled for me, some core memories are with my grandma, Mildred, having her prescriptions filled. Grandma would pick me up from Pied Piper on certain days, and then we would head down to the pharmacy so she could get her cocktail of prescriptions. Being in an older generation can do that to someone.

On the days my grandma picked me up, it was my lucky day. I would rush into the middle aisle, squat down to the perfectly placed containers full of Frooties or Laffy Taffys for those sugar crazed kids. I would have to decide on what flavor I wanted. Was it going to be blue raspberry, cherry, green apple, or banana? It was a big decision. Frootie’s were one cent and the Laffy Taffy’s were five cents.

After making the excruciating decision of what Tootie Frooties and Laffy Taffys I wanted, I would happily go to the counter with grandma as Cindy would check us out. Her service was impeccable, and she was always so gracious. Grandma and I would then go on our way to her home. A few days later, grandma would pick me up from Pied Piper, and the process would start over again.

In my “older” age, I ponder why Traer seemed so perfect and what has changed. In a way, Traer had it all. The community has a grocery store, multiple gas stations, multiple bars, multiple restaurants, an eye doctor, a medical doctor, a pharmacy, and more. Unfortunately, this list has dwindled since I left town. While these services might cost slightly more in a small community, the ease of convenience makes it worth it.

What is more frustrating is it does not have to be this way. Through an abdication of policies to help protect the commoner, and the allowance of consolidation to hollow out communities has been devastating. People are left behind because antitrust laws are not enforced, whether against the pharmacy benefit managers impacting pharmacies or the Robinson-Patman Act to help small grocers like Bobby’s Grocery & BBQ. While it is important to note NuCara is facing a lawsuit from the state alleging NuCara owes them $22 million, this situation was at no fault of the citizens of Traer and the other communities losing their NuCara pharmacy.

Let us hope Traer and the other communities find a replacement. This way people can still walk across the street to get their prescription. This can also be a place where not everything is about dollars and cents, but it is about forging memories with a loved one. Everyone deserves a shot, no matter where they are.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, now-retired beginning farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.