There's my college term paper opener...but basically it boils down to me being tired of places like Walmart and wanting cities to start having local hardware stores again. I'm not even tired of big box stores being the "giant evil blah blah". I just think they're boring. I'm not a huge fan of cookie cutter and enjoy a good neon pink sore thumb house or business just because it breaks up the same old same old experience. Go to any strip mall. You got a Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond... It really is like the participation trophy in kids sports. Yeeeaaaa your city has the same businesses as countless others in your state or even sometimes county but who gives a f*ck? I mean is that really the thing that makes you swell up with civic pride? We were lucky or awesome enough to get this region's Sam's club!?!
I guess it's even kinda the same when you say you have a brewery and Columbus has a brewery and Cincinnati has a brewery for example. Ya they're in the same industry but at least they aren't selling the exact same recipes and won't always have a Kay Jewelers to the left of their building and a Panera to the right of their building. There's some sort of difference between the breweries and what they make and where they're located. Sure there are industry standards but you are allowed to be artistic with your vision. That's what you lose when you get a strip mall and big box malls. You lose that artistic experience. You lose that neon pink sore thumb. You could literally live in any town in the US. I hate that thought as much as I hate when I see someone out wearing the exact same shirt as me. I instantly want to burn it at my feet. There's a huge difference between having a burning desire to express yourself through your craft and just wanting to make millions of dollars. Most people don't understand needing to make something to express a feeling. Most people can however relate to wanting to make a quick and easy million. I'm afraid we've just lost that understanding...that concept. That makes me sad...
| You want examples?!? I've got examples! How about this...I want to build an exact replica of the St. Louis Arch in Cleveland. Have it go right over the river or be an excuse to bulldoze some crack houses on the east side but I want it. I think it's nice and it really fills a landmark hole that Cleveland has. I'm sure the architectural drawings are still around so it won't be hard to reproduce PLUS we could probably do it cheaper and faster now-a-days because technology! Yup, no "of". Just Technology. People would come to see Arch 2 and pay money when they're here and take pictures and buy souvenirs. How is that so different from both of our cities having a Walmart. Why does your douche meter go off when you think about Arch 2 but you praise and patronize businesses that out of the kindness of their hearts bring their cheap labor force, Chinese goods, and acres of parking lots to your city? Come on...it doesn't validates you and your city... it's already great somewhere else and you're just getting a copy of it. They didn't even change the design of the building. Know why? Because no matter how many local whatevers they sponsor... they don't care about you. |
Let's drive it into the ground shall we?...
When you think of vacation cities anywhere in the world do you wonder if they have a IHOP just like the one that's a 7 minute drive away so you can get breakfast? or a Giant Eagle so you can get your fuel points? or a Dick's Sporting goods just in case you forget your swim suit?...Do you eat McDonald's in Italy over eating a locally made pasta dish? This is fun and I really could go on and on but the answer is "No". You go to see or experience something that you couldn't experience where you live. All those businesses I listed are nice-ities but if they aren't there, something else will be. Now I'm going to circle back to my college term paper opener or it wouldn't have been necessary to even write it to begin with. You go to Amish country because it's a unique destination that contains things and experiences you can't find where you live or really most anywhere else. You go to New York City for the exact same reason...the details of the reason are night and day but that's why you go to places like that. Cities that have all-year-round Christmas or white sandy beaches or legalized prostitution all have something that you can't drive to the local strip mall to experience and that's what you should be striving for! A unique experience!...or fake it and trick us! Who cares!?!
Now think of your city or town. Do you really have anything worth visiting? Oh by the way and along the same thought, picking an area to live based on "living close to your parents so you can have built in babysitters" is just lame. I don't normally say it out load because parents LOVE to tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about because I don't have kids. After the red anger leaves my face, I think about never talking to them again, and then think this...
"Just because you screwed and created life, it doesn't make you a goddamn genius."Honey-boo-boo exists. Would you let her parents do your taxes because they're parents?...just like you wouldn't take parenting advice from them no matter how many kids they've reared. I take what you have to say into consideration BUT in no way take it as the god's honest truth. Don't fool yourself. Babies don't fix stupid.
With that being said - I love all of you and there's nothing you can do about it. God I'm so tired this week...
Leave me your thoughts
on any of this
in the Comments Section below.
Get my blog posts sent right to you!
Put your e-mail address under
FOLLOW BY EMAIL
on the right menu and click Submit.
Like, Share, Star, and +1 the blog on Social Media by
clicking either the Buttons below after Posted by or
the Icons below the comments at the bottom of the screen.
Click on the ads on this page and
make me a couple of cents!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment