Jasper Mall

Jasper Mall is (was?) in Jasper, Alabama, but it feels like a signature southern small town. Regulars frequent the largely empty space like they’re attending church. You’ve got the daily walkers, the domino players, and the hardworking employees—some of whom have been there since it opened in ‘81; the lady in the flower shop (mostly funerals, fewer weddings now), the jeweler (who also plays the electric guitar), and the teenager in housekeeping who saves up to go on cruises with his friends. He likes to keep moving. 

Mike McClelland is the star of the show, who takes care of the mall as if it were his own home. Watching him work reminded me of someone tending a garden. Mike used to own a zoo. He’s got a photo album full of pictures of the tigers he misses. I could go on, but I’ll let you get to know them for yourself. 

Jasper Mall is memorable because the people who inhabit it have a genuine loveliness to them. Doesn’t seem like anyone’s bad-tempered, impatient, or ill-intentioned. Honestly refreshing to witness, like hitting a reset button for a cynic. People can be kind, generous, and content, even at the precipice of an ending beyond their control. Welcome reminder.