Coming from DC, Austin actually *is* kind of weird. It’s a smaller city with less sprawl, fewer chain stores and restaurants and a general feeling of acceptence toward people that are not that into the 9-5 status quo.

After moving here, some one said that slogan means support local business instead of national chains. OK. I’m totally into going to BookPeople rather than Barnes and Noble. And I’m into living in a city that encourages that. I will pay more for that new, sought-after hard cover book at BookPeople because in other ways, BookPeople contributes to Austin’s sense of place.

And, also, the very existence of that store (and others like it) promote the sort of capitalism that is actually a good idea. The American Dream style capitalism that is being eclipsed by large corporations more and more as the years go by. Capitalism involves competition – in quality, price and customer service – and big corporations compete by taking over markets. By totally standardizing their products and services. The byproduct of that is the standardization of America.

Austin is trying to remain Austin, not Anywhere, USA where consumers are comforted by sameness. There’s value to avoiding that, for me.

I don’t care if it’s a hippie behind the counter. I care if the guy behind the counter knows my name, and what I like, because we know each other personally. And, I care if knowing him makes me want that guy’s business to succeed, because he’s my neighbor. I care if he cares if I come back again. I care if he’s part of my community. Bottom line: we have stake in how each other’s lives go.

That whole concept gets lost more and more in America. Losing that promotes this every-man-for-himself mentality that just ends up making people feel lonely and afraid. Orphaned.

I moved here because I wanted community. And I got it. And, frankly, it’s weird. It’s not everywhere. Even in the last year, I’ve seen it diminished here as Austin grows.

Maybe the slogan is kind of desperate. I just don’t think it’s desperate for the reasons stated here or elsewhere. I’m not even sure that the people going around saying it all mean the same thing. Or understand what it is they are trying to preserve.

1) you can’t smoke in a bar.
2) you can’t buy a vibrator over the counter.
3) the same homeless guy in the tutu has been there for ten years.
4) the suburbs here look like suburbs anywhere else.
5) it costs $70-plus for Austin City Limits Festival tickets and near $100 for South by Southwest Music Festival armbands.

Austinites (primarily the 78704 crowd) need to wake up and realize they’re arrogant and self-centered individuals who can’t deal with the fact that Slacker is over ten years old and the town is never going to be that way again. The Armadillo, God rest it’s soul, is gone.

I say enjoy the blending of cultures that our town is becoming. Ride the wave and help shape it into something truly unique. Screw weird, just be Austin.

(Man, I gotta blog this… I’m inspired.)