bookstores and coffeeshops
When I think of: Papyrus Odegaards Shambhala the Hungry Mind what comes to mind are the smells, the narrow aisles, the countless hours I spent in each of these bookstores. There's just something cool...something organic, friendly and particular about the disheveled nature of the local book shop. Of course, none of those listed above exist anymore . A friend of mine, sitting at the family-owned cafe we both like to frequent, said to me: "You know, my financial adviser just told me to invest in... insert name of major coffee chain ... and I'm torn. It'd be a good investment, I'm sure. But wouldn't it drive places like this out of business?" It's an interesting thought. You could be sitting drinking coffee while your portfolio was effectively working to pull the chair out from under you. We can all agree that we love neighborhoods with local bookstores and coffeeshops. And we can all agree, on some level, that local ownership has real advantages.