My niece and nephew came to Florida Saturday and they were kind enough to bring along their parents, who were nice enough to bring me an entire case of Schlafly Beer (commonly referred to in St. Louis as Schlafly's for no particular reason). That was nice of them. And it got me thinking.
You see, Schlafly's is a St. Louis microbrew. I drank it a lot growing up and then never saw it again after I moved to Tampa. Schlafly's, much like Lion's Choice roast beef and Imo's pizza, always reminds me of my hometown, of high school girls and humid summers, of the Arch and the Cardinals and Eat Rite diners and friends who remember that one time when I went crazy and was forced into a mental hospital thanks to excessive LSD consumption (memories, like the corners of my mind?). It's amazing how one beer can bring all those feelings back at once.
Certain things in life will always remind you of home because certain things in life can only be purchased at home. Or at least, they used to be.
Shortly after that beer arrived, I got on the internet and discovered that I can have Schlafly's sent to my home pretty much any time I want thanks to the miracle of delivery systems. In fact, I would venture to guess that just about anything made in this world can be ordered over the internet or via the phone. And that made me a little sad.
I mean, if memories of my hometown, of growing up, of what it meant to go from boy to guy to man can simply be purchased and delivered to my home, then well, doesn't that make them a little less special? Doesn't the rarity of a given thing truly define its beauty and importance?
After two or three steady minutes of meditation, and a pull off a Schlafly's Pale Ale, I have come to the conclusion: eh, maybe.
But who gives a fuck, right?
I mean, the important thing is that society is shrinking the world. That we can get what we want when we want it. Convenience is important and I'd be a fool not to recognize that.
But at the same time, I kind of like the idea that there's this one beer that's only available in this one place, as if drinking it is some kind of birthright.
Maybe I'm old school, or just plain stupid, but sometimes I wish things were a little harder to get.
And, after tasting another Schlafly's, I have to stress the above word, sometimes.