I look back fondly at the early days of Amazon—you know, back when it just sold books. Ahhh, the good old days.
When I first discovered Amazon, I was living in Japan. My husband was in the military and we were stationed there. We had a small bookstore on post, but I couldn’t get everything I wanted—especially cookbooks.
Someone told me of this fancy new online bookstore and I was hooked. The whole world of books right at my fingertips. How could something so wonderful be evil? It was a simpler time. Now look at the monster we have created.
Amazon felt special when it was just books. Now that you can get any damn thing in there it seems criminal. Please understand that I’m as guilty as the next person for using Amazon as a go-to resource. I live in BFE Kentucky. You can bet your sweet ass I’m using Amazon to procure Japanese curry powder. What are my other options without paying a small fortune?
The weird thing is that now I rarely buy a book from Amazon. I’m a proud supporter of local bookstores. Very little gives me more joy than a local bookstore. I will travel to the ends of the earth to visit one. I never visit one without making a purchase. I mean, seriously, I always need a book.
I remember living in one small town that houses my all-time favorite indie bookstore. I printed some pages from Amazon and took them to the bookstore to see if they could order the books for me. The look on the store owner’s face was priceless. He said, “I don’t think this has ever happened. Usually, people take pictures of books here and go buy them cheaper on Amazon.” I believe in paying a little more to support small businesses and good people. It’s the right thing to do.
I do appreciate the convenience of Amazon, but sometimes it is okay to be inconvenienced to support the little guy. It can make all the difference to someone’s livelihood. Not to mention it impacts the quality of life for an entire community. Shop small, my friends.
I’m not a dolt. I realize Amazon isn’t going anywhere. I would be lost without it for many things—primarily bougie groceries. However, we don’t need to put more money in Jeff Bezos’s pockets when we can be helping our friends and neighbors. I don’t want to live in a world without independent bookstores and other similar establishments.
I’m not trying to shame anyone for shopping on Amazon. Like I said, I do it, but I try to be selective with my purchases. I hope you will consider doing the same. Your neighborhood bookstore will thank you and appreciate you way more than fucking Jeff Bezos.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
