chains
chronic beautiful, like a column written by him alone, a typical chronic Foglieni, Pierre Foglia evoked today this annoying habit for people to buy books ; discounts at Costco and put it in direct relation to the closure of small bookstores, as this library Rimouski which we had managed to attach in a few lines. After reading the history of this library we dreamed of Rimouski in Rimouski to rush it and was shocked by the closure thereof.
But the trick - and it Foglia can imagine, I'm sure - is that there is probably not a reader or a reader of his columns which buys books at Costco. And if they do, it probably is aware that they should not. Foglia writes for a readership convinced in advance. Again, I repeat, he probably knows. I do not think that his intention is to educate its readers but to take this opportunity to defend the proposal, often back on the table for several years, imposing a single price. And I hope that repetition of this proposal will have echoes because it is the only possible solution in the current context, because people will not stop, whatever tell them to go buy books at a discount at Costco. And first, why would they? Why the fate of independent bookstores they would import it? How the fate of independent bookstores Is it attached to them? I have no answer to offer but I know that as long as we do not answer this question, we can not do anything.
What seems striking about this story to buy his books at Costco rather than in a library which does not speak Foglia, is the attachment of people to big chains, like Costco or Tim Horton. I think for many years in this attachment and it amazes me. If people are buying books at Costco rather in an independent bookshop, it's not just because it's cheaper but because Costco, like all channels, it is reassuring. Immense and completely impersonal but reassuring. In fact, I would abolish this "but". Impersonal and therefore reassuring. Reassuring because it's known, because it is familiar. Chains and the cultural industry, hand in hand, we have made entirely chilly, even hostile to what is unknown, foreign. We are terrified to get close to something we do not know by heart in advance, and much more, to confront us with something personal, human. So rather than go to a local restaurant, we go into a string, rather than going for a coffee in a nice little cafe, we go to Tim Horton (although this is not really cheaper, needless to say), rather than go eat a burger in a snack, we go to McDonald's (though it is a little different in some neighborhoods, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve as to where snacks are much more prevalent than chains), etc. etc.. Go to an independent coffee shop rather than a string, let alone in a small cafe is a bit like going to someone, someone willing to receive us at him. It is a promise for human contact. And that, well, it makes you uncomfortable these beings become so timid, so afraid to have contact through being conditioned , s to be kept far each other.
And if I say all this is of course because I know all that. I come from a family fearful, not just temperament, if somewhat, perhaps. But for me it's clearly an attribute of class against which I must constantly fight, especially since I am naturally shy. When I enter a new place in a small cafe, I always feel a little intimidated - why, I guess, I like to establish my household gods in some places personal certainly, but less to intimidate me strength to attend. I remember, for example, this spring have gone absolutely charming in a cafe on Mont Royal, east, Les Bois coffee or something like that. The woman working there this afternoon there seemed to be the owner or if one of the few employees of the place and she was so friendly and charismatic. Still, I was embarrassed to the point where I almost get out but we still remained and it was a wonderful moment, le café était délicieux et l'endroit adorable, « quoique » très très Plateau avec une petite crowd de genres d'intellos, journalistes et autres. Mais bref, mes vieux réflexes avaient failli me pousser hors de l'endroit. Ce que je n'ai pas fait, heureusement. J'ai eu l'impression de vivre une rencontre, à ce moment, sans avoir parlé vraiment avec la serveuse, ce qui se serait peut-être produit si j'y étais retournée à une ou deux reprises parce que les gens ont tendance à se souvenir de moi, Perhaps because of my appearance, perhaps because they find me weird, maybe because I'm a little charming, perhaps because of my crack teeth, I do not know. It's just like that ...
Finally, I find this very sad situation for me, and I do not see any solutions to it. Many people do manage to escape only by a certain snobbery (we hear, this attitude has nothing to urban and is miles away from the reality of hipsters!) or rejection their original environment. Having spent years living in the arch-familiar, they will launch headlong into the unknown. I do not know exactly how I lived. I only dream to see people escape this attitude that contributes to further alienate us from each other.
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