‘She doesn’t even go here!’

Big business SUCKS.

In the back of my mind, I guess I’ve always known that, but it’s never once stopped me from shopping at Target or Victoria’s Secret – in fact, the thought ‘Could I get this somewhere else?’ when I was shopping has literally NEVER occurred to me.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, perhaps), working at an upstart small business for the summer has shown me the perils of owning your own business like nothing has before. Here I have been, browsing the aisles of Borders and even (more than) occasionally venturing into the depths of Wal-Mart in search of cheap-as-shit…well, shit…and all the time small business owners everywhere have been sitting just hoping for me to enter their long-toiled-over shops for the exact same item.

This could all have a lot to do with the intense love affair I’m currently having with the book store I’m working in (I mean, there are books…and a cat…and board games — a literal definition of what I love), but I’m going to go ahead and extend it into the rest of my life for now. I need to start thinking about the society I’m contributing to, and the people behind the useless material items I’m purchasing.

Can I, though? God, I really don’t know. Writing about this is SO much easier than actually practicing it. Check back with me in a few months…preferably not from behind the counter at Forever 21.