Continuing the September challenge of shopping only in Osawatomie, this column is written as if to a personal friend.
Dear friend Osawatomie:
Thanks so much for letting me drop in and visit you these past few weeks. I know I have been a neglectful friend, and have turned my back on you over the years. I have favored my bigger and flashier oversized friends over you. I really didn’t give you a chance until this month.
Why you ask, have I ignored you? I had reasons, some with merit, some without.
With merit: “Convenience”. You don’t have toilet paper and the toilet seat and the towel bar and interior wall paint and electronics and Halloween candy bars in one stop.
Without merit: “Convenience”. Wait a minute, sprinkled over a few stores, you do have toilet paper and toilet seats and towel bars and interior wall paint and electronics and the candy bars. I just had to drop in and look for it. And I saved time and gas by not making a trip north.
With merit: “Bigger selection”. Yep, my bigger friend has that. But I know what you have from visiting you regularly. And I can stock the fridge, cupboards, and laundry room just fine from visiting you, my local friend. Spread over several stores is just about everything my family needs. The groceries are good, the fresh produce is mostly very good, the brand names are there as well as “house brands” The Oz stores just aren’t flashy and shiny.
Without merit: “you are too expensive” Please spare me. I have saved money this month by not dropping a wad at my oversized double wide friend’s. I just had to check the ads and visit the stores here in town. You are not too expensive.
I have to remind myself that it costs me almost $2 in gas per round trip to go to my big friend’s house.
My supersized out of town friend does not have cheaper toilet paper and doesn’t really care about helping me personally when I need help. (If I can even FIND someone to help me)
I like being, well, kind of anonymous in a big store. I feel too self conscious in a small store. I just had to set my jaw and just get over it.
But in taking the time to get to know you, I can get every household necessity from you. There is no need to visit that other friend of mine for detergent, paper goods, dog food, school supplies, socks, underwear, etc.
The main lesson for me: (with credit to Sheryl Crow)
It’s not about getting what you want, it’s wanting what you already got. And my friend Osawatomie, you got 95 percent of it. So I will need to visit my supersized friend now and then, just not as often.
A lingering question: Just where is Clover Valley, anyway?! Doesn’t matter, I am willing to buy because it is good enough quality at a lower price. And if it helps out our town to buy locally when possible, then it is worth it.
Your friend,
Sarah
Note: Visiting any store in Miami County is shopping locally, so you will see me now and then at the big out-of-town stores, for sure. Just not as often.
Short URL: http://osawatominews.com/?p=410
Posted by admin
on Sep 29 2010. Filed under News and Updates.
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