Shopping local, even if it's not your local

Sorry to have left you high and dry like that my Firehouse friends. I was out of town again. Justin made a valiant attempt to write to you, but alas, it was not to be.

I know it's not Thursday but since it's been a while I figured I would post a little something for you all.

This past week I was away in Boston, for work, not for pleasure, but did have quite a bit of fun. My coworkers and I had our evenings free and we used this time to get out and explore the city. I did have one place I had planned to visit even before we left. Justin told me about Trident Bookstore and lucky for me the shop was only a few blocks from my hotel.

Our first night in town we found ourselves walking down Newbury Street. It was lined with shops and restaurants, all a little highbrow for our taste but lovely to look at. We were on the hunt for a place to eat but as a dear uncle of mine once said, "The only thing better than finding what you’re looking for is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargin." And that is just what happened.

Suddenly, shinning in the light of the slowly setting sun, the Raven Bookstore sign captured my gaze.

There was a brief moment where I thought I had the strength to walk by without going in, much less buying anything. But then I caught sight of their outdoor book cart and table and I ran down the stairs to investigate.

To cut right to the chase, I ended up walking out with three books. After that little episode of no self control, I decided we should visit Trident on a different night. It's good to pace yourself.

The next day, after all the sessions had let out, my brother and I ventured back into the city to find Trident Bookstore. David (my brother) never saw the inside of Trident. He ditched me for the Brazilian Ju Jitzu center right below the bookstore. In retrospect that was probably a good thing. I'm sure many of you can relate to that nagging relative or friend you drag into a bookstore. "You're taking forever!" they wail. "There are a lot of books!" you reply. So annoying!

I perused the shelves, feeling very much like I was back at Old Firehouse after it had had a serious makeover. Many of the books on their shelves I see several times a week already, but here I had to work even harder not to grab them all off the shelf. I behaved myself though and only walked out with one book. 

Why am I telling you all this? Well, you've heard it from us before: shopping local is very important! Not just to the store you’re buying from but to your whole community, wherever that might be. Old Firehouse sells to many people that are just visiting Fort Collins, and we appreciate their business greatly.

So next time you're out of town be sure to shop local. Just because it isn't your local doesn't mean it is any less deserving of your support. We could all stand to help each other out more. The world would be a much better place if we did.

Cheers,

~Ren