From the General Store to the soda fountain, lunch counter, diner, coffee has been a socializing lubricant. The diner with white cups and stools that spun. Plans and dreams also spun to people you spoke with daily.
Paper cups, corporate coffees answer to cluster bomb advertising litter! Travel mugs and cup holders drive through, tell the clown what you want “scratch $2.05 plessee pull forward to the window” Little chance to smell the beans, let alone linger, converse. Anything more than “How are you? Fine” is wasted billable hours. Thank you? less than half of the time. Hell you are late for your second job so you can keep up the payments on your “I-personality” You got the Vanilla one but, word is that in a month an upgrade to “Ultra Vanilla-smooth personality ” will be available. Maybe you can get some overtime so you can first in line for this one?
Small business doesn’t have associates, isn’t funded by a line item on a senate bill to send more aid to Exxon/Mobil. Small business is funded by you making a decision to keep the American Dream alive. Look forward and look back but don’t forget to see what is right in front of you. The text message is on the wall your humanity is past due. enjoy pjc
Hi Peter,
Isn’t it just a crazy world? I was talking to my girlfriend the other day and her daughter was there bragging about her new SIX-HUNDRED DOLLAR iPhone. I told her that when I use a phone, it’s because I want to use a phone. I don’t want to spend a ton of money for a bunch of useless shit I’ll never use. I told her I got much better clarity on my $9.95 phone from Walmart. Yes, I have a cell phone because I need to be able to be reached by any number of people but it’s insane how people line up for hours when something new is released. Give me a break. It seems to me that people were much more relaxed in the day when there were no cell phones, pagers, or other electronic devices that allowed people to track us anywhere in the world and pester us at any moment. It often cracks me up to see people “on vacation” at the beach with a laptop, cell phone, PDA, and pager strapped to their waist or hanging from their shoulder. What does vacation mean?
As a small business owner, I like the fact that I don’t have to wait on senate debate or support from the government. I liked how you stated that. I am at a point in my life that I really hate corporate America. Yes, its a necessary evil but that sector, like many others, just uses people to advance it’s bottom line and loyalty is a thing of the past. Job security is a joke as people’s “security” rests only in their ability to do their job. What ever happened to doing something because it helped people? I constantly hear of businesses pulling out of Maine because “they can make more money elsewhere.” Well, it’s obvious that they are making money here but just “not enough” for their liking. What the f**k is that all about? Does it always have to revolve around MORE MONEY? Don’t any of these “educated” executives realize that they are providing jobs and a service to people? Case in point is one of the phone companies that is trying to pull out of Maine because it’s not quite as profitable as somewhere else. If they would pull their collective greedy heads out of their asses they’d see that people appreciate the service they provide but we just don’t have a large populace for their bottom line and so they’ll just leave. Assholes.
CEO salaries are another sore point for me. Our society is fast becoming a society of “haves” and “have-nots”. The middle class is taxed to death, the rich are given tax breaks, and our government continues to bring us further into the pit of incredible national debt with this ridiculous war in Iraq. Never mind the human suffering in Darfur. Never mind the starving and homeless people in our own country. Let’s just piss away all of our money on everyone else’s country while our own children starve to death. You know, last time I checked, if parents don’t take care of the basic needs of their children, their children are taken away. It seems to me that we should feed our own children before we feed the neighbor’s children. Am I in the wrong here? I just get so angry with our politicians. I firmly believe in capitOl punishment; everyone in the Capitol should be in jail.
Anyway, I better stop before I burst a vessel in my head or something. I have to photograph a large charity ball today for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. I’m looking forward to that but am a bit nervous because the coordinator just called and she’s having all kinds of last-minute crises. Well, I’ll just try to roll with it. If nothing else, it’s for a great charity! All proceeds go to the charity. Ol’ GW doesn’t get any of it for his war.
Take care, Peter. Let’s get together soon!!!
Your friend,
Mike
Yes Mike it’s a crazy world . We allow it to be. I’ll email you enjoy pjc
Great image, captures your point well. You know it’s funny. I’ve been going to this small local bakery for almost a year. It’s basically just one guy running the place, he’s always there. Two weeks ago, I realized that I had no idea what his name was even though I talk to him everytime. After close to a year I finally asked. Just struck me as funny to talk to someone that often yet not even knowing their name.
Thank you very much Diana. So many ways to communicate yet we all seem to say less. Nice work on your site.
enjoy pjc