I do not want an Instagram dentist
I want the one that’s been around for 50 years,
the one with gray fluorescent waiting rooms, lived-in chairs,
and last season’s Homes & Gardens splayed across the coffee table
I do not need an Instagram vet
I want the one that’s up the hill with Dr. Marsh, the one that served my parents’ pets, and now mine
The one with the weird hours, where the receptionists know your name
I do not desire an Instagram coworking space
The public library does just fine, thanks
I do not require a reservation at an Instagram restaurant
I just need the food to be good
and the company even better
The places that deliver arched-mirror aesthetics and limewash-painted walls
are the ones that lack in personality, charm, individuality
I do not want to have to pay for beauty
My beauty lies in connection
No, not the swipeable kind
I feel lonely in these spaces
More self conscious, less grateful, competition and envy fueling my fire
These places are set up for us to pull out our phones
And put away any genuine, lasting connection
I’ll take the inconvenience over the VC-backed business
Calling a person over an in-app purchase
A shop with crooked floors and maybe a little history
‘Closed for lunch’ signs
Shuttered doors in the month of Agust
A real human being
Taking rest like the rest of us
Cover photo: A First Visit to the Dentist, Edward Hughes (1832-1908)
I just read this to your grandfather who is in a learning curve and he thinks your writing is on the mark. (he has a lot to learn)
This is wonderful. LOVE IT!