I've already seen comments saying Becker Village Mall can never be a mall again and that it should be turned into, of all preposterous things, a homeless shelter or animal rescue shelter, when the announcement of its sale Wednesday has the potential to bring jobs and add to our local tax base.

I've seen comments that talk about the former owner's greed when the best I can tell the only greed was community pride, in wanting to keep the mall from possibly going under the wrecking ball. I'm sure, however, that would give some folks, like the person on our Facebook page who said living here sucks, some perverse thrill.

Of course, there have been the comments that the mall is in a poor location when I can't think of a better, more highly visible spot. You can't miss the mall traveling down Tenth Street, Becker Drive or Old Farm Road. You sure can't miss the grocery store, the fast food restaurant, a delectable Italian restaurant in the same parcel and a longtime car dealership across the street.

Our attitude has made Rocky Mount out to be some mystical mecca where all that glitters is gold and we're always going to find what we're looking for. Never mind the local nickname for the Cook-Out there is the Shootout or that the city on the rise was ranked in the top 10 of most dangerous small towns in the state. That certainly bodes well for the future of a city where people think the streets are paved in precious metals.

Then we sit back and blame the theater when the theater has absolutely nothing to do with a group of investors coming to upgrade the mall and, from what we were told Wednesday, are going to work hard to bring in national clients and try to bring it back to its former glory.

If I was trapped in this woe is me mentality, I suppose I would blame the theater for everything that has gone wrong in my life. I suppose I am naïve enough to believe the theater district concept will eventually work, and, with a push to have mixed uses in the district, could open it up more to some of the things envisioned early in the process.

I don't believe for a second the local investors who saved the mall would have sold if they didn't believe they were putting it into very capable and knowledgeable hands.

We will digress a conversation about the sale of the mall to a failed donut shop or keep perpetuating rumors about some ludicrous, phantom agreement that I have yet to find in writing that will keep Sheetz from coming rather than offering a supportive voice or relaying a message to the mall owners about what we would like to see.

This is why we can't have nice things because someone has to complain we've already got this or that instead of being appreciative of the things we do have and the things that are in the works.

Personally, I would like to see a restaurant come here that offers healthier eating alternatives, but I'm not going to complain about a fast food place coming when it's all a part of the puzzle. I would personally like to see a book store, a men's clothing store or Apple Store come here but I'm not complaining because we don't have these things yet. The Apple Store will probably never be reality here until the release of the next Windows operating system (JK as they say in text messaging).

The sale of the mall should be welcomed, as its former owners pass the torch on to folks who apparently have the pockets and the knowledge to hopefully make it work.

I suppose those who don't have the faith that this will work will continue going to the Promised Land of Rocky Mount to pay salaries of out of town workers or, maybe, they will just keep finding something to complain about while wallowing in their self-imposed misery.

I personally applaud the efforts going on behind the scenes to make this a better place to live and work. The problem is, however, if we keep our poor attitudes up, then we truly will not have nice things — Lance Martin