Observations

       

      Driving around yesterday I saw something that saddened me.  Our last shoe repair shop is closing.  Now a days in our throw a way generation people don't repair their shoes.  They toss them and get new.  Of course the shoes now a days don't look like they could be repaired.  I remember the smells of the shoe shop, leather and glue.  Old shoes made to look new.  Now soon to be just a memory.  The things I remember growing up are all leaving.  Every neighborhood had a small grocery store.  Only one remains in this town.  It has bars on the windows.   That saddens me also.  Neighborhood parks.  They are being abandoned also, too much of a liability.  Small specialty clothes shops done away by shopping malls.  The clerks don't know you and can't say, "I saw this blouse and knew it would be perfect for you".  The personal touch, gone.  Driving around downtown which was full of neat stores while I was growing up.  Each store had their own style.  Things you could only find there.  Closed and no new stores,  just lawyer offices. Now everything is mass produced and way way way overpriced. 

    Another thing I saw driving around that makes me angry.  Walmart keeps making new stores.  Fine and dandy, but do something with the old store.  We have 3 boarded up huge buildings rotting away since Walmart refuses to remodel, they just make a new building.  They should be required to tear down the abandoned one instead of it just becoming a tax payers nightmare.  Do they do that all over or just in this town?

    Last but not least on things that are bugging me.  I heard a report on how they are making our small electronics to only last 2 to 3 years.  Thats your digital camera's, I-pods, MP3 players, CD players and any number of other items, DVD Players, TV's.  The first time I heard about this was with dryers.  There is a part that is designed to wear out in 10 years, probably much less time now.  It will cost almost as much to repair it as the item cost  new.  Might as well toss it and get a new one.  And our dumps just keep getting bigger and bigger.  They could make these things to last for centuries but what would keep you coming back to spend spend spend?  Doesn't matter to them that children would be growing up and buying them for generations to come, they want to sell their products to us again and again and again.  And we let them.  WE LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT.   I had a TV once.  It lasted me over 20 years.  When it broke I bought another of the same brand.  It lasted 2 years.  The TV repairmen said they are now a terrible TV.  Picture tube goes out at least every 2 years.  What!  So no TV.  I have my sons because he gave it to me.  I have my DVD player hooked up to it.  When it dies I have no intention of replacing it. 

   Anyway see the way my mind works when I don't do my morning meditations?  Must get centered.  Today I am going to the antique store to see if I sold anything.  I have another purse I will bring, but locked up so it won't be stolen.  These old purse are becoming collectible again.  Lots of time handmade, they are one of a kind.  The kits had the basics and you could put whatever picture you wanted or one that came with it.  Anton Pieck has a print on quite a few of them.  I like the originality of this fun and funky purse.  Quite the conversation piece.  So what do you all think, fugly or kind of cute in a bizarre way?  As you can see I have it tagged already for the shop.