I took yesterday off, a Wednesday, and it was so stimulating. This is an account of how I spent my day off, ’spent’ being the operative word. I have a lot of disposable cash at the moment, I don’t want to offend people not in the same position, I know how that feels. But this day brings up a lot of issues if you think about how we live, what we value, what makes life easy or hard, and where a person needs to be – what kind of person you need to be to find the following day satisfying. And then you can watch this video and think how trivial my life is.
I spent the morning reading a Max Barry book called Company and listening to RRR. While I finally did the dishes, the lady on RRR was talking about ‘community’, that we should be talking to people behind counters about meaningful things, and we are allowed to have days where we just don’t want to talk to anyone. Community is a complex issue, I usually feel completely cut off from any form of community, it does bother me.
I started the day going to the local Readings to pick up Jennifer Government by Max Barry, I’d ordered it the Friday before at Borders after spending $60 (with 40% off) on three expensive books I could never otherwise afford, or justify.
I went to the post office and returned an expensive tee-shirt i’d ordered online which stained itself on the first wear. Bought from a local maker who only uses local materials, no slave labour etc. Hopefully she’ll send me another one, it was really nice.
I went to the little cabinet maker at Malvern Station but he was closed until next week. He is always closed when I visit, I have never been inside. I am becoming bitter.
I went to Greville street, couldn’t find anywhere to park, refused to pay meter parking at $2.30 an hour, two hour minimum, esp since i didn’t know how long i’d take. drove round and round and found a free 1 hour park.
Went to Revolver and ordered a glockenspiel, not a good one, not a bad one, have to wait for it to arrive. I’ve wanted one for a very long time. Ever since 1992 when I saw Laura MacFarlane of Ninety-nine on her knees in Polyester Records playing Velvet Underground’s Sunday Morning on a Glock.
Went into Friends of Couture, all the clothes reminded me of the most vacuous Gen X friends I have. left feeling self righteous.
Went to Greville St Records, couldn’t find a cd i wanted, bought an Akira Kurosawa dvd, because i couldn’t leave without getting something and it looked good even if it was $35, disappointed Steve didn’t recognise me even if it had been 5 years since I’d visited, I’ve gone there since I was 16 for fucks’ sake.
I went to Greville St Books, Urata did recognise me, I didn’t think she would. I used to buy design books and Lemony Snickets, basically half my wage went there. We chatted for ages, I found some things I didn’t really need (T.S.Eliot and Dylan) and bought them to help her business and make me feel purposeful spending so much time in there.
I raced back to my car thinking I’d have a parking fine, I didn’t. I took my secret shortcut and parked outside Alternate Worlds, I stopped in at Fat Helen’s but almost I never buy anything there, I’m just reassured that it’s still there, unlike many of the nice stores from the past, unlike the Tote which is closing this weekend. The comic book store guy was significantly younger than me which was weird, but he gave me good advice. I bought two graphic novels, after literally going through every shelf in the store looking for something to get.
I walked up to Penny Syber’s secondhand book shop to tell her the book she recommended was awesome, but she wasn’t there, all her cats were curled up in the window in tiny boxes or between books on the register. like large furry coffee scrolls. I looked for a similar book but there wasn’t one, and she wasn’t there to help me. It’s not the same. People who say internet shopping rocks, may have forgotten how awesome it is to have record, comic and book store staff who know their shit so well and know your tastes so well, they can thrust things in your hands which you will form a life long bond with.
I jumped in the car it was time to get home, my new mattress would be delivered between 5 and 8pm. They came at 7:58 but took away my 18 yr old futon mattress as a favour, it’s like a chapter of my life i’m saying goodbye to.
I frequently buy something in a store I like, or something extra in a small but vital business I don’t want to close down. I feel guilty for spending the money and often the business owner probably is rolling in it and doesn’t need the money as much as I do. But life without these businesses would be a struggle of internet shopping and having to return every other purchase in the post.
And a final question, I got this idea from the radio…
What song do you NOT want to die to?
ie you’re walking along, iPod on shuffle
and a runaway street sweeper careens
round a corner and lands on you crushing
you to death.
and the last thing you hear in this world should NOT be…
Tags: books, comics, community, internet shopping, mattress, money, music, responsibility, rrr