According to this week's read, "We believe in the magic of language and rituals". In fact there is a whole chapter dedicated to the discussion of this in Dollars and Sense explaining why we justify the expenditure on eating out. Because of the perceived pleasure, I spent thirteen dollars and change on a few scoops of ice cream and a milk shake. I could have bought at least three, maybe four pints of Ben and Jerry's for the same price and enjoyed them over the next few weeks. But this expenditure was not really about the ice cream (although it was really quite delicious), it was about the ritual and the formation of memory. For this price, I had a nice walk with my daughter, I wandered the gallery with works by Atarah Sheba made more beautiful because we met her last week at a local First Friday event, and, of course, enjoyed a strawberry milkshake chased by a few spoonfuls of my daughter's chocolate ice cream.
I thought about ritual making as we strolled around our temporary neighborhood of Manchester in Richmond. On Hull Street there is a palpable energy of a street trying to reclaim its former glory and reinvent itself into the vibrant community it sees itself (re)becoming. Next to boarded windows there are newly renovated buildings. There are new restaurants, breweries, a deli, a public library, a gym, an art space or two or three. There is the aforementioned Brewer's Waffles that serves a wide range of waffles and milkshakes. The presentation of the ice cream was not the point of this particular experience, a simple plastic cup did the trick. They are relying on the quality of ingredients to make customers include them in their rituals. The focus on ingredients fits their tag line of "a better waffle, a better experience." And, considering my positive experience with my milkshake, I am inclined to be lured by their language and learn more about their waffles in my next visit. The question for this business will be, are there enough residents and visitors interested in investing a token amount of six to eight dollars for their flavor of magic? Or will they take a pragmatic approach and stay home with their freezer full of ice cream instead? Or will they harvest peaches to make their own? Or forgo the ice cream all together?
1 Comment
I have lots of goals for the rest of my summer and fall months. I have heard that telling people your goals is a good way to hold oneself accountable. Often articulation of goals leads me to to turn them into obligations and tasks which takes away my joy and does not seem to aid in my completion of the stated goals. For now, I am going to keep them to myself. You're welcome. Instead, I include in my post today the paths my mind has taken this morning.
Weather It rained last night. It poured, in fact. Today is cloudy but also sunny. There are clouds in the sky and the sun shines through. I think they call that, partly-cloudy. For some reason, partly-sunny sounds less optimistic. Signs of Insanity Talking to inanimate objects may have once been a sign of insanity. In modern times, I argue with my GPS and tell my Google search that it is not working hard enough to understand what I want. I was thinking that perhaps talking to inanimate objects was a sign of the modern age, which is it. As I write this, I realize how strange it is to discuss things with my GPS. Take that to its logical conclusion. Sexism in Gun Laws? I am wondering if women rather than men did more of the shooting if lawmakers would be taking so long to pass sensible legislation around guns. Money Recently read "Dollars and Sense: How we Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter" by Dan Ariely and Jeff Kreisler. I learned that I have a human brain and, like many human brains, it is not a logical beast. I am also working to allow that sometimes, that is okay! Worthwhile read. Many of the lessons are applicable beyond the pocketbook and be applied to how we make decisions more generally. Religion We have attended the local Quaker meeting the last two Sundays since we are living near one for the next few months. Typically we live far away from a meeting house and don't attend. I have really missed this community. I had not fully appreciated how much. |
To Blog?Why not? Categories
All
Archives
April 2022
|