Big Box Blues

I normally buy my coffee from Joe's, the local, very cool, indie coffee shop and I buy my books from Charis, a community book store. But yesterday as my partner and I were driving home from a huge lunch, in the gray rain, we decided to stop at the big box book store and have a cup of big box book store coffee because we had a gift certificate.  When we ordered we were told that we could not use or gift certificate at that S_____ Coffee store because they were part of the big box book store.  Apparently it didn't matter to them that there were 2 other S_____Coffee shops and a completely different chain coffee shop all in that big box store complex.
The experience got me thinking, not only am I glad that I support my local, independent stores that seem to care about me as a customer, but I'm also glad that what I have to offer to the world, is nothing mass produced, but handmade, one of a kind items that mean something.  Artist and other people that don't have a major corporate backing are far better for communities if only for their ablity to make someone happy in small simple ways.  Forget you, Star_ucks, I'm going to Joe's.

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