What to sell, what to sell… mmm, let me think. Should I sell what people want or what they need? Moreover, do we, whether a Boomer or Zoomer, understand the distinction? I want a season pass to Citizens Bank Park. I need someone to heartlessly rid my home of all its junk so my wife and I can move into a dwelling more suitable for a middle-aged couple in need of a lifestyle change. But I shall not make this exercise about me.
I, being a pragmatist, would represent the antithesis of Max Von Sydow in the film adaptation of “Needful things,” and sell items of sustainability, or, in other words, ideas for a more enriching life. For example, a manifesto on financial literacy might be the first item a perspective consumer would spot when happening into my shop. Next noticed might be a thick volume titled: Common Sense (A Pathway to True Enlightenment). Further down on the shelf, if one had the proclivity to browse, one would spot William Bennet’s compilation titled The Children’s Book of Virtues. If purchased by adults and read to children, perhaps one day I might actually make it home without a shitty ten-year-old weaving on his bicycle in front of my car and then giving me the finger (What can I say, I’m a cockeyed optimist).
My shop won’t catch your eye, for it won’t have a colorful facade or storefront that smacks of tech. Inside the old floorboards will creak and the wood-paneled walls will smell of antiquity. There will be no gadgetry informing you of how many steps you take per day or devises that provide you a window to a world where everyone appears to lead lives more exciting than yours. My shop’s mission will be to sell only what society lacks, and if properly consumed, gadgets and devises would see their roles dimmish to nifty tools and accessories, instead of gateways to stress and anxiety. Indeed, my shop won’t be sexy or imaginative. Less would it prove an overnight sensation. But who knows, over time, it might just catch on. Will you venture into my shop?
Michael's Corner 
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