Years ago, before I was married and had children, a time so distant it fades in memory, I had a conversation with my boss about the homogenization of towns and cities. There were, he said, very few places left that exuded a sense of uniqueness. Why? Because of what Chesterton was already seeing in 1929. The "big store" had made the street monotonous. The chains were taking over everywhere eliminating and driving out the unique.
It's true isn't it? How far can you go without coming upon the ubiquitous strip of McDonalds, Burger King, Target, WalMart, CVS, RiteAid, Cracker Barrel, International House of Pancakes, Starbucks, etc.? How many mom and pop stores have been driven out of business and replaced by the monsters? You can be sure that even in a city like Washington, D.C. that has a national mall uncluttered by the chains, they are only a few blocks away. And that has made cities, for the most part, boring as Chesterton points out.
It has, however, inspired my own little rebellion. I will not shop at WalMart unless I can't get what I need anywhere else in town. Instead of going to breakfast at our nearby Cracker Barrell which is loud and unappealing, we go to our little local Seven Bends Restaurant which is decorated with hundreds of black and white cows: pitchers, banks, stuffed toys, windchimes, and anything else you can imagine being made in the shape of a cow. I've gotten to know the waitresses because there are only a few rather than a cast of thousands. In Front Royal, instead of hitting the McDonalds, we prefer to eat at Spelunker's where you can get the best hand-dipped frozen custard in the area or at the Melting Pot pizza place which is a little tawdry but has good food. Spelunkers reminds me of Tubby's in Alexandria where we used to go for chili dogs and homemade custard. Yum, it makes me hungary thinking of it. You can find these gems in many places.
When we travel, we rarely stop at a chain unless we need a quick bathroom break and a soda. (They are good for that.) But when we're ready for a meal, we seek out the one-of-kind mom and pop establishment. If you ask at the Visitor's Center they can almost always recommend a good place with great local food.
As for unique and one-of-a kind people, they are always worth seeking out. And Chesterton gets my vote for one of the most unique of all. More people need to get to know this champion of truth whose writing is, after 100 years, still fresh and invigorating.
Great post, Mary Ann, and thanks! ANY time I can I will shop and eat small and local. I mix with people I know, and I know most of my money is staying in the neighborhood. Plus all the bennies you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteG.K Chesterton is the most brilliant man of the 20th century. He is simply amazing. Dale Ahlquist says that the reason Chesterton is not studied is because the modernists don't want to confront his thought. It is easier to ignore him for to try to answer him is to lose the argument.
ReplyDeleteThis post brought to mind the serenity prayer "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference".
ReplyDeleteThe only truly unique things in the world are the souls that God created. Very few of us have had a hand in shaping the larger world in which we now live and there is little we can do to change it.
So, I agree with your individual efforts to keep the few mom and pop shops around in business. I think it's also worthwhile to teach our children to make their own music and clothes and art. I teach ours to write real letters that they put stamps on and put in the mail box.
As we cannot really fight life as it is today--in the 21st century--I believe it's best to use things such as the large stores to our advantage in whatever way we can.
And I agree with you 100% about Chesterton.
To quote Hank HIll:
ReplyDelete"I hate Megalomart."
Thank you for such an inspiring post, Mary Ann! Chesterton is my man too. After having read Orthodox, it all made sense to me why I am a Catholic.
ReplyDeleteYour posts, lots of the times, make me realize what I never realized before very often, and this posr did the same thing. I will try not to succum to the "big store" when I am out and about!
One of my favorite sayings of C.K. Chesterton, the Apostle of Common Sense as he is called, is this: "Let us thank God for beer and wine by not drinking too much of them." Very sensible! Also, there is a family owned restaurant in our area that is great for breakfasts. From what I have heard, the owner even gives coffee and food free to the truly needy. I have not tried their lunches and dinners, but I look forward to doing so. Many restaurants have come and gone here, but this one has lasted. Probably because of the personal treatment people get when eating there.
ReplyDelete