a little more thought on community.

amazing grace, by jonathan kozol, was a sad realization of how community's can be forgotten and fall to pieces when the leaders don't pay attention, forget or don't care. good read, sad read. i suggest it for anyone who cares about people generally.

also, there's going to be a performance in the fringe -- a comedy it seems, with puppets -- that explores gentrification that might be an interesting show to see.

support local businesses too. before you go to walmart or target, make sure there aren't any local stores that carry the same thing -- might be a few more pennies or more difficult parking, but imagine if it was your own business. more importantly, you'll often find more personal help that the smiley figures at walmart and home depot feign to provide. next time, it's likely the independent owner might remember your face with a small reminder. it's unlikely at walmart you will even meet the same person.

i'd be a hypocrite to say i've never gone to walmart or target nor enjoyed the convenience, but i'm just advocating for being more concious. and a fun way to support local business is find a nearby farmers market -- i've learned recently that roxborough has a farmers market on ridge, fridays 2-6 (i think), and i know chestnut hill and east falls also have one. look them up, there's a whole list of Philly farmers markets, except roxborough and east falls isn't on that list. so look for them here!