What to get my granddaughter for her 20th birthday? As a teenager, she was always happy with photo albums, cute picture frames, etc. that I selected for her. Now a college sophomore, her tastes were more sophisticated. "Greg," I asked her dad, "Do you have any ideas for Allison's birthday?"
"Maybe something for her car?" my husband queried.
"Wel-l," Greg thought a minute. "You might go out to the Opportunity Center and get her a gift certificate to have her car detailed. She would love that!"
What a good idea! We had never visited the Opportunity Center, a local place of employment for the disabled and handicapped. We had passed by it a few times, noticing the spacious grounds and what looked like an upscale housing development behind it.
We drove up to the reception area, fronted by a long, curving driveway with a huge wooden sign engraved in scrolled script announcing, "Land of Opportunity".
"Oh, you want 'Attention to Detail'," the friendly receptionist said when we told her what we wanted. "You have to buy the certificate at the Country Store."
She gave us directions and we followed the curved road until we came to several lovely buildings I had mistaken for fine homes. One had a sign that said "The Chocolate Shop", but that was where all the cars were parked. It also had arrows and markers stating "FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE".
"Do you want tickets for the Father-Daughter Dance?" the clerk at the counter asked as we went in to what we hoped was the Country Store. It looked more like a lovely boutique with all sorts of jewelry, accessories, and gift items attractively displayed in several rooms.
"No, we want to buy a gift certificate for auto detailing," we told her, "Is this the right place?" She said it was, and while my husband purchased it, my eyes strayed to all the merchandise available. I thought perhaps the things were made by the employees, but I was told that though some of them were, many people placed handmade new or donated items there on consignment, with the center receiving 25% of the profit.
I bought a beautiful, reasonably priced scarf, feeling good that part of the purchase price would go to the Opportunity Village. In the room just beyond me, I could see a long table with several nicely dressed people behind it, obviously selling tickets to the Father-Daughter dance to the people lined up in front of it.
What an interesting place! And to think we have lived here 5 years and never visited it! I could see that the Father/Daughter event must be a popular affair, realizing that if all fathers were as thoughtful of their daughters as the one who recommended the gift idea, it would be a resounding success!
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