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"The Best Hot Dogs in the World!" Don't you love this type of slogans? The Best Deals Week after Week; the Best Prices this side of the Mississippi River; the World's Best Hamburgers! According to whom, to what criteria?
Did some culinary expert visit every single hamburger joint on the planet? Was he fair and balanced (unlike Fox News)? Did he visit Kazakhstan, Fiji , Botswana? Great burgers in Botswana you know, made with wildebeest meat, a local delicacy, like the fried termites. Didn't he have the flu when he tested the burgers in Bonn and the buns in Bergen? Who's this guy anyway? Can he be trusted, unlike Fox News? Or unlike me for that matter, who just made the wildebeest burgers up . Not the fried termites though, these are real and tasty too, I tried! So really any business can claim to be The Best, sell the Best Products, at the Best Prices, the Best Beers served by the Cutest Waitresses in the Galaxy. Which in essence means that promoting one's business as "the best" become meaningless. Unless of course your business has been VOTED the Best. Now THAT has some real value, substance, legitimacy (unlike Fox News).
EASTMONT CUSTOM FRAMING IS THE BEST PICTURE FRAMING BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY!
Sounds a bit pretentious, doesn't it? Specially in bold capital letters. So let me rephrase that:
Eastmont Custom Framing has been voted
Best Picture Framing Business
in the Valley Advocate's Best Of poll.
That's better. And true!
I don't really care much for awards.
Until I get one!
Then I become a total hypocrite and accept the prize like it's totally deserved, and like I very much care for awards...We're all humans after all and a pat on the shoulder always feels good. And I must admit that this one feels specially good, for a few reasons.
For one, I was getting tired of being second. According to a recent study among Olympic medallists at the last Winter Games, being second is actually less satisfying than finishing third. The bronze medallists were happy to have made the podium, having avoided the worst place of all, 4th, while the silver medallists were almost all disappointed not to be first.
I can relate, at a much lower and more trivial level of course: I was quite excited the first time Eastmont made the Advocate's Best Of list at third place a few years back, but didn't feel much excitement when we moved up one notch a couple of years later.
So yes: I do care, and I'm very happy and proud that Eastmont has landed on the top spot this year. I'm also proud that Eastmont is in the company of such great Easthampton businesses like Venus and the Cellar Bar, KW Home, Mountain View Farm and The Lift. (Sorry if I missed any)
To see all the results, click on Best Of logo above.
Another reason this recognition has a special meaning is that both Cindy and I have recently had to deal with some pretty serious health issues. Receiving this Best Of award feels like a timely and comforting balm. We're doing OK, and will continue stay abreast of all the trends and news of the trade and frame away with all our heart. But please be advised that Eastmonts' schedule may be a bit unusual for a couple of weeks come early May, and we recommend you call us (413-529-9265) to check our schedule. Thank you for your understanding.
Last but most important reason we feel good about this award: YOU. You voted. There were enough of you who not only thought we deserved a vote, but who actually went through the trouble of getting on line and do it. That means more to me than anything. A lot more. And I thank you.
Thank you! Merci! Thank you!
I actually don't think we are necessarely the best framers in the Valley. I do believe however that we - and when I say "we" I include Cindy Bow of course - work very hard to meet and if possible exceed our customers expectations. We believe that the most important part of our job happens when we help you find the right "ingredients" for the work you brought in, and we are not satisfied until we come up with a framing design that will not only "work" well with the artwork but will also look good in your home or office, and will fit your budget. We TRY to be the best framers possible because YOU come to us.
Maybe some of you also voted because you know that we try to be more than just framers: Owning a small business in a small community brings feelings of gratitude to be a part of that community, but at the same time it also gives us a sense of responsibility towards it. And both Cindy and I, each in our own way, dedicate some of our working hours - and part of our free time - towards this community. We do it because we love where we work, and where we live.
Thank you again for your support, your patronage,
and your votes!
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