I complained today to a friend about the ticketing system the College instituted last year for Lessons and Carols, requiring that a person attend a mandatory social gathering two hours before the event (even though theoretically the ticket entitles entry to the Chapel) and turning the service into something very like a performance (I may not be religious, but I know and respect the difference between believing and make-believing).
One person I encountered today complained about the rain and fog, and yet as a resident, she knows it's just weather as usual, especially at this time of year when Mother Nature can't decide whether to be warm or cold (it's been both today).
Plenty of people complain about medical care and its cost -- especially for some reason about dentistry, always suspecting (mind you, these are people of a certain age, that the dentist invents reasons why teeth should be crowned). When I suggest, based on my own personal experience (three surgeries, two different occasions for orthodonture, numerous crowns, four bridges over a lifetime, and plenty of pain in between [one of my parents once said my teeth cost more than my education]) that just maybe a twenty-year old crown is ready for replacement before decay does permanent damage, others scoff and suggest the dentist's daughter needs a fancy wedding or the dentist's husband deserves a great vacation.
One special focus of complaint in Sewanee is The Pig, a local and locally owned grocery store. People say, quite rightly, that the huge Kroger down the mountain has better produce. Well, yes, of course. It also has a much larger population base of shoppers and proximity to suppliers. People say, quite rightly, that the huge Wal-Marts (one in any of three different directions, all half an hour away) are much cheaper. Well, yes, of course, thanks to the company's poor employment record. People say, quite rightly, that both Kroger and Wal-Mart have more variety. Well, yes, of course, they're both much larger stores with much larger turnover, allowing for more frequent refreshment of goods. What I say in return is this: our Pig is locally owned and operated; the folks who work there live up here; and the management has improved it at least a thousand percent in the last four years -- adding locally made bread, locally grown fruit, gluten-free products, vegetarian alternatives, and even growlers for beer.
I have many reasons to love The Pig. In addition to the bulldog I posted the the other day, there's this.
Happy complaining, y'all!
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