Tag: community

Twozdaz Wandering Thoughts

Starbucks hurt my feelings.

They spent capital convincing us that Starbucks cared about the community. More, they cared about people. They opened their doors to homeless folks. Come in and rest. Be safe, comfortable, warm, dry, cool. Charge your phones here! Use our restrooms! We care! They put out announcements telling us that they want people to come and stay, make it a place to meet, a place to be. And we believed them. We did.

As did the homeless. I’d see them trickle in each day, a regular group I came to know by name. I learned their preferred seating locations, treated them to food and/or drink from time to time, said hello, chatted about the hot dry days, the freezing fog, the traffic, dogs, etc. Chatted about life.

Then Starbucks swiveled. That campaign wasn’t reaping the benefits they’d hoped to get. Within days, the restroom doors were locked and coded. Had to ask for the number at the counter. The homeless were politely shooed out, police called if they resisted.

Then, though, oh, look at the numbers. Starbucks decided they needed to close the place they’d encouraged us to make a home away from home, a community center for everyone and anyone. It just wasn’t making enough money.

It feels like it’s a betrayal. It’s not. Just business as usual. And that’s the thing about corporations. It’s all about making money. Profits and losses.

It’s not about humanity. That’s just strategy. Don’t let them fool you into thinking otherwise.

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Twozdaz Wandering Thoughts

The coffee shop is pretty damn full.

I’m in RoCo. It’s my new favorite coffee place, an old house converted to a business on the corner of 8th Avenue and East Main Street.

Every table is in use. Many regulars are in attendance. Like me, at a table, computer open. My eyes and ears are open even as I read, think, and type. Wonderful community and social energies swirl through the room like a strong, happy breeze. I love the noise and action, enjoy looking up at the faces, glancing at the fashion.

Most clients are, ahem, ‘my age’. They look like, ahem, boomers, like me. I’ll be seventy next year. I think I’m in the middle of the age spectrum here. Sure, there are so younger outliers. Teenagers who look like they’re wearing colorful fleece pajamas come in as pairs, order, take their stuff and leave. A few twenty-somethings, thirtyish, and fortyish folks are partaking of drink and food, chatting with others, reading, so forth. Hoka shoes are spotted on many, the shoes of my people. Columbia sportwear and Patagonia dominates. They’re the clothes of my tribe, but this is Oregon, where some of that stuff is produced, and where Columbia is headquartered, up north, west of Portland. Two children, about ten, are also present with an older woman. The children are on ice cream on this chilly, foggy, autumn day. The weather doesn’t daunt them from enjoying a cold but sweet treat.

The baristas take orders, prepare, and serve, all laughing and chatting as they do. Regulars come in and get greeted by name, including Sugar the dog, who waves their tail in happiness and await their standard treat.

Sunshine has burst through outside. Cold air storms me as the doors open and close. This is the United States, Oregon, Ashlandia, in 2025.

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Bookstores Doing Good

I’m sharing a recent Jill Dennison post about good people doing good things. In the midst of the gub’mint shutdown, as the GOP cruelly did the Trump Regime’s bidding and starved U.S. citizens, communities came together to help one another.

One of these stories was about a bookstore. I’m a bookstore fanboi. They’re inspiring places. Bookstores usually brim with optimism and creative energy. You can smell it and feel it coming off the books. And people who read books are just about the most brilliant people in the world. So, to hear of a bookstore collecting food and helping the hungry made my heart swell three times too big. But the second piece of this story, why I really was inspired to share it, is that bookstore’s success inspired other bookstores. I figured, sharing is caring, and perhaps by sharing, other bookstores will rise up as well.

Good People Doing Good Things — Bringing FOOD!
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Here’s A Lift

Midday Palate Cleanser

Always nice to read of humans being nice to nature. When so many things are going wrong in the world, it’s a spiritual lift to encounter people helping Pufflings find their way.

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Some of the Good Stuff

One of many bloggers I follow, and one I’ve written of before, is Jill Dennison at Filosofa’s Word. Writing about news and politics, she also gives us daily music posts and doses of humor and snark. She also reminds us of stories about people being good, kind, nice, helping one another in the way that most of us hope a good society does. I’m sharing one of Jill’s post about “Good People Doing Good Things” today. As news inundates us with stories of death, hate, and bigotry, Jill’s recap of some feelgood stories are a satisfying antidote to the darkness and negativity which threatens to take over. Hope you find as much comfort, satisfaction, and hope in these as I did. Cheers

Good People Doing Good Things — Little Things Mean A Lot
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Monday’s Wandering Thoughts

A sense of community often ends at the parking lot. Signs warn who may share their parking lot. Even on weekends and holidays when businesses and institutions are closed, they warn, “Parking Reserved for Customers”, or the like, threatening scofflaws with towing and fines.

Otherwise, it’s thanks for visiting and enjoy your day.

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