At the end of last week I forgot to return lauded 90s manga feature Jin-Roh to Faye’s Video, just down from my apartment in SF. Maybe Netflix has softened me. In fact, the disc was still in my computer as I boarded a plane to Boston. Dumb.
But.
This morning when I went to return the vid, feeling slightly dumb and un-excited to part with more scrilla after a strong showing in the Bean, Mr. employee behind the counter was like “I’ll knock off 50% of the fee if you pay the fee now.” So I ended up making a $3 donation to support a local spot, not a bad oversight fee at all – and even more I got treated to human kindness and good business in one fell swoop. That’s true local.
I’ve been musing on this experience the rest of today and considering my membership to Faye’s and Netflix. There’s reason to keep both – Netflix’s himalayan-sized collection, and Faye’s in-person service and of-the-neighborhooodness. My life. It’s a blend.