Hell yeah I shop local, man. I get my coffee from Citery Bakey or Tod’s or the Drip or Izzy’s or wherever unless I have a coupon for Starbucks (or want to see if they have Komodo Dragon brewing.) It’s fun to go to the farmer’s markets during the summer time, and I totally get everything from there unless they don’t have it. Then I go to SwIngles or O’tIngles, which is sort of shopping local.
There are some things you can’t get from a local retailer, so far as I know. If anyone has a line on artisanal Swiffer products, I’m all ears. In the meantime, I’ll be going to Target for that, seeing as how their design principles are better than Wal Mart’s. Further, there are some things I’m not sure are available at all in the greater Altamont area. For instance, the ear pads on my Grado SR-80 headphones arrived from the Amazon “partner” from like California or whatever. If anyone knows of some store in Altamont selling replacement parts for Grado headphones, I’m all ears. (See how I did that?) The closest place I know is Reed Brothers Stereo and Fabrics in Chucktown. As much as I could use a day on King Street, it makes a lot more sense to stick around the Patton Dairy and let the ear pads come to me. (Having done so, I am now experiencing The Dan with newly revived appreciation. “I did not think the girl could be sooooooo creuuuuuuuul, and I’m nevah goin’ back to my old schoooooooooooooooool!”)
Anyway, on the list of things that should be bought locally at a locally owned and operated store are running shoes. Seriously, I was just trying to save the half-hour difference in opening times as well as the driving distance when I walked into the big box sporting goods retailer to find some shoes that would keep me upright while running a trail. Listening to the kid who gets the shoes from the back (as opposed to the shoe salespeople at the local store) “um” and “ah” when asked about the relative quality of the shoes by a female customer, I should have run. When he asked me what color the trail shoes were, I threw up in my mouth a little bit. My ceiling for shoes is somewhere around $110 or so. I buy at least four pairs a year. I want to talk to someone who knows that the difference between shoes is greater than the color variations. To have someone help me who remembers helping me last time and can build on that experience is especially satisfying. Knowing that our economic futures are connected so that what goes around comes around is priceless.