| rev:text
| - . INDISPENSABLE
I'm here about every three months for printer ink and paper, and maybe twice a year for other supplies. If I DO need some assistance (and even if I DON'T)---say just passing an employee on my way to another aisle---everyone is smiling, greeting me, or asking if I need help finding anything. What would I do without OFFICE MAX? I'd be in a fine mess. The last thing I'd want is to be forced to search elsewhere for paper, ink or anything else office-related.
Over the years---since about 1997 when I was in real estate---I've seen Officemax slowly cutting back on their inventory---and employees, too. What's up? For sure, people aren't handwriting much of anything anymore---except on sticky notes---so the need for a vast array of multiple styles of stationery is hardly necessary. Photo albums, too. Instead of passing around a book with at least 8 large full-color, easy-to-see pictures where three people can view all of them at the same time---and without touching their heads---just pass a phone. And hope you'll get it back---without powdered sugar or salsa, or at least close to it's original condition. Now, click on the NEXT miniscule photo you want to share, for another pass. (Flick off that whatever stuck on the screen.) Of course, you can go through this ritual with your laptop, but you really don't want to do THAT. Much better for everyone to---ugh---get up from their oh-so-comfy (:o{) air mesh swivel task chairs, cram themselves into your vast cubicle, and do a photo huddle.
And the days of word processors are long gone. Loved mine, but with technology racing at mind-bending light speeds, about 8 years ago I threw out my trustworthy but now irreparable friend (no more parts available) along with the chicken carcass and peeled potato skins---or whatever garbage I had that week. Obsolete---after existing just a blinks-worth in Time. Computers are undeniably MUCH better---for writing, but especially for quick super-handy researching, running businesses, gaming, communicating, yelping, etc. (Actually, I've worked the keyboards on computers before most yelpers worked the keyboards on their Playskool pianos.) I can't imagine life without one.
And I can't imagine life without an Officemax, either. Will I go in one day and find a mere 3 choices for ball-point pens? Or two for paper? What? No calendars? No binders or note pads? I DO see it coming. They'll down-size to convenience store footage, perfectly adequate for their assortment of grey black and beige machines. A few paper choices, and maybe a few printer inks. And a close-out corner with bins of pencils, erasers, markers, and paper clips.
Do I like this 5 star store?---and all the others like this one whose inventory might join the heavy leather ledgers and quill pens before we know it? You're damn right I do.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)