Written for LLL US Western Division’s Connections, in response to hearing criticism about conference goers who skipped sessions so they could go shopping. 1999.
Traveling to the LLLI Conference in Chicago in 1995, I was a country mouse visiting the big city. I was living in a small, remote Alaskan town and had been away from bookstores, malls, museums, and coffeehouses for six months. I was anxious to feed my deprived soul.
I visited The Art Institute of Chicago twice, browsed the hotel gift shops multiple times, and then bought Bulls jerseys and hats at O’Hare Airport. I was a woman possessed. You may notice some country mice at the LLLI Conference in Chicago this summer in 1999. They’ll be the ones coming in the front lobby doors with bulging bags and beaming faces.
“I found some Birkies in my size!†they’ll say. “In magenta! I bought three pairs!†Or, “I got birthday presents for my husband for the next two years!†For you city mice who don’t understand this, here are some descriptions of typical country mouse behaviors.
Country mice like to “power shop.†They want to buy great quantities of things they need (and have been dreaming about) in small amounts of time. You’ll spot the power shopper sweeping up ten T-shirt, 20 pairs of socks, and three sweatshirts at the GAP. Or she’ll purchase 20 birthday cards at Hallmark. She most likely is also shopping for her friends, relatives, and neighbor country mice.
Country mice skip sessions to find special bargains. City mice will have to trust their country cousins that they’re attending the sessions that are important to them. We do lots of virtual shopping via catalogue and online sites, but when you’re a country mouse, the thrill of actually touching merchandise before you buy is tremendous!
Country mice love specialty stores. In remote towns, you may see many items all housed together in one large store. However, specialty shops with, say, just crafts made by local Native Americans, products with a berry motif, or items just for cats are only found in big cities. And it’s not just the purchasing that’s fun. It’s the aesthetic arrangements, handling the merchandise, and smelling the unusual aromas.
Country mice love big airports. Airport shops have samples of many of the big-store shopping of an entire state or region. The bookshops, computer stores,and local craft and food emporia will pull in a country mouse every time!
Country mice love to linger. Are you going to a Kinko’s near the hotel to make copies for a conference session? The country mouse in your party will want to cruise the aisles for stationery items she’s only dreamed about in her small grocery’s school supplies corner. Be prepared for this detour.
Now I’m a city mouse again. I can drive to Barnes & Noble and Borders, large art and science museums, multiple Hallmark stores, and three large movie cineplexes all within 20 minutes. Oh, I’ll probably still visit The Art Institute several times this summer, but this time I will leave off the power shopping. But I remember how it felt to be a country mouse yearning for some big-city amenities. Help out and welcome the women visiting from small towns at your next LLLI Conference. Buy them an espresso, suggest an exotic restaurant for dinner, and point out the bookstores. They’ll love it.
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