There was a time in my life when I looked down on Costco. There was a time in my life when I refused to go to Walmart. There are times even now, I’ll admit, when I wish that jolly bakers living above their shops made my bread and that I got my morning brew from a little cafe run by a mom and pop.
But my bread comes from Trader Joes and my coffee from Starbucks. Why?
The economic reality I inhabit in Phoenix is one involving large-scale enterprises that distance me from the producers of my food stuffs and household articles. I don’t shake the hand that feeds me. If I were to talk to whomever wove my sheets, I doubt we’d speak the same language. I have no particular interest in meeting the assemblers of my $20 Solar Shield® sunglasses from Walgreens.
I no longer lament my economic isolation or my status as a consumer. Perhaps I need to; perhaps there are injustices underlying the vast field of options I have as an American purchaser. I’m open to hearing about the injustices and, if need be, acting to eradicate them (assuming I can, even partially).
But as I come within hailing distance of my middle age, the economic opportunities that American-style capitalism makes possible impress me more and more as very good and important things, not as things to wring my hands about. The economic opportunities that a free-market provides aren’t just chances to get rich and accumulate lots of stuff. Those economic opportunities make possible a very rich human existence.
This evening, for example, several Catholic families gathered together “to break bread”—a cliche phrase for sharing a communal meal. But the “bread” we broke wasn’t bread at all. It was Costco pizza chased (after a swim) by Kirkland-brand ice cream. It wasn’t slow-roasted chicken with pommes de terre frites; it wasn’t a home-grown mixed salad; it was several cheap pizzas in cardboard boxes served up on paper towels. Yet it was still a moment of genuine human communion centering upon a shared meal. It was lovely. (And now that I think about it, I’m not sure I paid for my family’s share of the pizza, which I was supposed to do. Oh well: the pleasure of my company was payment enough.)
I tell you this because I think it’s easy (at least for me) to slip into a kind of determinism regarding the economic “ugliness” of Phoenix. It’s easy to look at the giant box stores (e.g. Walmart, Costco) and the strip malls (e.g. everywhere in Phoenix) and think: “Man, this town is just one big shopping center. Why don’t I live in a real city?”
But real cities can have an unattractiveness all their own. Take Portland, for instance: a city in which one can see people of all sorts—not just the economically disadvantaged and mentally deranged—walking on the streets and using the buses; a city with a downtown that people use after 5PM, even when there isn’t a ballgame; a town with more than one hip coffee shop (thanks for being there Lux). In those hip coffee shops—and in the city as a whole—big Catholic families don’t make sense. Heck, families don’t make sense. (Our family friend said of Portland coffee shop Stumptown Roasters: “Stumptown is a place filled with really great coffee and assholes who view any child there as a major inconvenience.”)
My point, then, is this: The economic landscape of a place shapes the lives of its inhabitants, indubitably. Yet those lives are capable of transcending any particular economic situation (though some economies—like democratic capitalism—make certain forms of transcendence—such as personal freedom—more likely more often than others—communism and socialism come to mind). Therefore, even out of Costco can come the conditions of genuine Christian fellowship. Deo Gratias.
Now, dear readers of Catholic Phoenix, I invite you to comment: hunt down my non sequiturs and poke at my flabby logic. It’s good for me and I thank you.
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I generally avoid Walmart, but for aesthetic rather than political reasons. Plus the parking lot is more disorderly. Mike Austin knows what I’m talking about.
Costco and community–the two are inseparably intertwined in my experience. When there’s a big convivial gathering which I am hosting, Costco is the store. The big Christmas dinner, the business retreat in Flagstaff, the 21 people from my wife’s side of the family staying with us for a wedding–all Costco occasions.
Well…speaking as a Catholic, who was until recently the owner of a small coffeehouse, in a small town, with Stumptown level coffee, that Catholics from our town almost completely ignored, I don’t think it is that easy. The Catholics in our town would “thank God” for what we were doing, would assure me that they were “praying for us”, and would then drive their 14 passenger badge of procreative honor through the drive-thru at Starbucks. We went out of business. I know the owner of Stumptown, or at least I’ve hung out with him, and I inhabit the market filled with that demographic. Two things come to mind. First, they need to see you happily drinking great local coffee, engaging in dialogue with them, all while corralling the fruit of your adherence to Humanae Vitae off of the bookshelf. Second, I have great friends, who live in Portland, have a baby and go to Stumptown every day. My shop was kid welcome, but just like in mass, there are limits at which the distraction is no longer charitable.
True communion takes place among persons, so it can take place over Costco pizza, but there is most likely some Catholic guy working his ass off and praying for more business for his shop, just down the road, on the way. So, you eat a little less pizza, since it costs more. I have my locavore hipster snob tendencies, but the real issue is your cash going to a giant corporation that loves abortion and hates families vs. a local person who might just listen to you about the faith since you go out of your way to care about them and your business.
You can know the name of the person who bought the sheets at wholesale and sold them to you at retail.
Pax,
Andrew
Yes, but because it is this way does not mean it had to be this way. The world is not Phoenix or the USA. I lived in a small town in Germany when my wife and I had four children (now we are up to eight.) It was like living in a polis — everything we needed was within a 10 minute walk. We could have our shoes repaired or MADE by the local cobbler. We could buy our food from the local farmers. We could buy ANYTHING we needed made in Europe, which was relatively local and well made. This was the socialist pit that so many Americans complain that they don’t want to become, though have never experienced. It was much more human than what we are accustomed to here. No place is perfect, but a lot of America is some place.
I’m impressed–living with 4 kids in Germany. I remember the signs in public places there that said things like “Das Spielen von Kindern ist hier unerwuenscht.” Indeed, no place is perfect.
A quick little trip to an online translator informs me that Denys’ German means, “The play of children is not wanted here.” LOL. Or, in German: LL.
Well, I live in a much smaller city than either Phoenix or Portland, and I’ve also lived in Germany and Korea. Currently, I get my pizza from a very successful little family owned shop that displays an icon of Christ-Teacher on the wall, and that is NEVER open on Sundays. They cost a little bit more than Dominos pizza, but they are good friendly people, and the pizza tastes good.
Nearer work, I get pizza from a similar locally-owned shop. One time, they overcooked my pizza, and were going to make me another, with profuse apologies, but I insisted on taking the overcooked one. They watched me begin to eat it with much solicitousness, but it was very good. They were also willing to give me my money back, but since it was fine, I paid for it.
Still, if we happen to want Pizza on Sunday (rare) Dominos is open. And when my wife needs a department store for perfectly ordinary purchases, with something like a reasonable choice, she has to drive way out of town to get to the Walmart or Target stores, because our local department store doesn’t carry much of what she needs.
And the fact is, we don’t know much about the business or social practices of the owners of this store. It’s been part of the local downtown for many years, and has employed locals (as does the bigbox hardware store.) For all I know, the bigbox supports traditional families and is against abortion, while the local dept store supports gay marriage and abortion. I don’t know.
And while the locally owned pizza shop appears to be Catholic or Eastern rite, and seems to be run by very nice people with an ethic about not opening on Sunday, I don’t know what causes they invest in. Maybe, behind closed doors the nice owner is a cross-dresser who supports gay marriage and abortion. I don’t know. How far am I obliged to investigate before I do business with someone? And what do I do if I find that all my options support causes I don’t believe in?
Give up pizza, I guess.
I thought all pizza shops have ikons and saints in them. Hmmm… oh well… at least there’s still dry cleansers and barbershops.
I was saying ‘thank goodness’ to a friend about Costco one day (having overcome snobbery, like the writer here) when my husband blurted out ‘St. Costco’. We used to live in the South Bay (south of San Francisco) and now in Sacramento, with Costco’s help, we make it as a family of seven. I was in line there one day, with my five boys, roughly (in the good years) 2 years apart. A well dressed older lady behind me glared at me (the kids were even being their unusually ok) and said something that boiled down to a criticism for having too many children. Ha, I thought, I bet she is making a mental note to go home and write a big check to Planned Parenthood. She’s wasting her time. Costco has PP out maneuvered!
And by making it easier for us Catholic breeders to keep our families fed and our homes sanitary, Costco is helping us to flourish.
Regina, you might enjoy an earlier post on Catholic Phoenix–look for the one called “The Pecking Order”, the theme of which is unfriendly strangers cluck-clucking at Catholic moms with kids.
Thanks for visiting and for commenting!
I used to shop at Trader Joe’s until I saw where they provide financial support to Planned Parenthood.
I am wondering about the ethics of patronizing stores such as Costco when the pharmacy sells abortafacient contraceptives. Are we contributing to their profit? How is that different than a pharm tech or the employed pharmacist who has to fill the order? Can we be smug and justified and say we have no ethical failure here and put it all on the workers? If we spend hundreds and thousands at these stores are we not part of the problem? If all convinced pro life Catholics would boycott the big box stores until they stopped selling on their premises drugs that kill little human beings what good would we accomplish? How can I eat my pizza and enjoy when customers are walking out the door with medications that will end babies’ lives?
Shopping at the store that also sells bad stuff isn’t in itself wrong. But, perhaps if you feel this way write a letter to the corporate management highlighting your confusion of how family friendly big box stores are yet how downright anti-children some of the products are.
It will do no good to write letters to the regional or divisonal heads. Many of the lower level management positions are heavily homosexual. Before anyone justs down my throat. Let me just say that I formulate this thought based upon employee testimony and first-hand observance; as I for over four and one-half years, 5-days per week would meet with help desk and store managers of most supermarkets and retails within a 5,000 sq.mile area. Certain chains tend more in one direction than some others but the standard is there. All it takes is one human resources manager hell-bent to spoil the bunch.
Some of the Costcos in Northern Virginia will not let one enter if they are Openly Carrying a weapon, which is legal in the State of Virginia. Thus, they will not get my business. Sam’s Club has no problems with armed patrons, so that is where I will go.
Well, rugerdon, I’m glad to say that you can read Catholic Phoenix while fully armed. Welcome.
I would dare say that Walmart has done more for the poor than all of the collective governments throughout history combined.
I am very often amused by the people who lament the construction of a Walmart in their neighborhood. We had such a case in Austin where a huge fuss was made over a WM being built at a certain intersection. Folks were gravely concerned over the impact to the environment, etc. etc. etc. After finally wearing down WM, the same intersection was turned into a Costco.
For some reason Costco is the more “Holy” choice with respect to the permitted public ethos that pervades our cultural elite. When you look at the average clientele, you will see why. It is the poor who shop at Walmart.
From those same folks who worry so intently about overpopulation in third world areas such as Africa, comes the virtue of Walmart hate.
Do us all a favor, please donate to your favorite mom and pop charity if you have guilt or lament over the success of Walmart. Meanwhile my wife and nine children will gladly accept God’s gracious gift of squeezing the supply chain free of excess. Just because you are a “mom and pop”, you don’t have a right to tax the things I need by an additional 5 to 15 percent!
My family is Pro-Life and Pro-Second Amendment!
Actually, I would imagine that by virtue of patronizing WalMart/Target/Costco/ and actually any department store, for things beyond food, we all contributing to the coffers of that same Chinese government that suppresses the Catholic Church, exploits developing countries resources, and butchers the unborn. The Western consumer wants lots of stuff, and we couldn’t pay for all this stuff if it was produced domestically, so we’re content to send our money overseas. International trade is vitally important to our wellbeing, but that doesn’t mean that we should be ignorant of how certain producers (or national governments) in other countries operate.
As a former employee of Costco, I want to mention that they treat their employees very well. Full benefits, job security, and lots of promotion potential. Overall, they treat their employees in a fair and just manner, something many other retail employers do not.
I live in NYC, where there are a few, largely inaccessible to those without cars, Big Box stores — the concept is primarily suburban/small city. The local small supermarket suffices in my largely Southeast Asian neighborhood. Single, childless, and old, I am not thrilled with Starbucks’s, and don’t eat out unless work hours force me to.
What annoys me in these effusions is the stereotype of the Catholic as married with a large number of children, and living in the suburban/small city setting. Early immigrants came to cities, and stayed there until the prosperous 3rd generation. Most Americans still live in large cities, and in apartments.
While a few had huge families, and raised 16 children in a cold-water walk-up tenement, that kind of fertility is unusual. Not birth control, but bad or no healthcare caused endless miscarriages, early childhood deaths. Many a woman was glad to raise 2 children after 4 or more pregnancies. And at least one daughter was doomed to be single, as Someone had to Take Care of Momma in her old age.
Today women have very limited marriage opportunities. Gay men, recycled divorced men?? Women always outnumber men, but the pool of single and ordinary men has shrunken acutely. Every Mother’s Day every pastor repeats the stereotypical greeting, assuming every Catholic woman is a wife and fruitful mother. It was ridiculous 100 years ago, and is ridiculous now.
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