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January 30, 2006

Thinking Outside the Box

...STORE, that is. Leonard Pitts laments the loss of a hometown's specialness.

Drive across the country these days and “unique” is not a word that comes often to mind. Increasingly, Richmond could be Rochester could be Dayton could be Duluth. We shop at cookie-cutter stores in cookie-cutter malls and eat at cookie-cutter restaurants, not because the food is special but because it is familiar.

A former colleague called it the Wal-Martification of America. It's as good a term as any for the process by which we become uniform. And regionalisms – that thing they say only in Cincy, that funky bookstore in lower Manhattan, that dish you can get only in that little dive in Jackson – become fewer and farther between.


We try here, in our own small way. Thinking of myself in terms of a 'local business', I always check the local merchants out first for practically everything. (Our Swill Stuff is all printed locally, for example as are my fine art giclees.) It's very much the old Mafia 'one hand washes the other' mentality with me. If they're within reasonable $'s reach of a Wally World/Target price ~ as most are ~ I'll buy whatever it is from the local guy. Clothes shopping and gifts? I can honestly say I've been to our local mall probably twice this past year ~ dash in/out both times for, like, 'suck-your-gut-in' pantyhose or something along that line. I hate the place. We lunch in the local bistros regularly and prowl around the slowly re-developing downtown to see what's new. Even in Bangla-cola, there's a lot to be gleaned locally if one is willing to take the time to explore. You can't always have convenience to have character, but you'd be surprised how much local character is actually quite convenient.

Posted by tree hugging sister at January 30, 2006 12:20 PM

Comments

Who do you think you are? You didn't even know him. He was an incredible person and had the capability of driving that distance... it was an A.C.C.I.D.E.N.T.!!!! How can you hold it against those that love him?! He had driven far before and just lost control... I have known him for years and I am deeply hurt that you would say something like this.

Posted by: Lynne at February 2, 2006 07:05 PM

I've cut and pasted this comment into the post below and responded.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at February 2, 2006 08:09 PM