Upon retiring from work at age 58 (lucky me) in 2012, I chose to leave the United States in favor of Europe, where I ended up staying in Budapest, Hungary, for six years. I rented a studio apartment near the city center, bought a used bicycle, and enjoyed a modest, inexpensive, yet comfortable lifestyle.

Since my return to the U.S. in 2018, I’ve found there are many things I miss. When I lived in Budapest, there were three different small independent bakeries within a five-minute walk from my apartment. Also in that same radius were a couple of almost literal hole-in-the-wall fruit and vegetable shops offering delicious fresh produce. And although the nearby area held no chain restaurants, it was home to several quite good local eateries.

There were clothing stores selling both new and used goods, as well as shoe stores, all of them small and independent, not necessarily carrying a wide selection, but providing high quality items at surprisingly low prices, and with friendly trustworthy service. Plus, within a five-minute walk was a practically free public transit system than made frequent stops and could take me almost anywhere I wanted to go within the city, safely, reliably, and quickly.

So I wonder, why is it that — at least in my current neighborhood in suburban Virginia — the only options for baked goods or produce or clothing or home furnishings or hardware or almost anything else are chain stores? Well, that, or freaking Amazon. Why are all other choices so limited, so few and so far between? Why does virtually everything depend upon — no, actually *demand* the use of a car to get there?

Most United Statesians, I suspect, have no idea that people in other countries live so differently than the way we do here. We have been sold on the idea, taught from an early age, that ours is the best way, indeed the only sensible way to do things. Anyone suggesting that a less car-centric and hyper-capitalistic culture is not only possible but desirable, that it could be much more pleasant and satisfying, not to mention safer and more friendly to the environment, well, they plainly don’t know what they’re talking about. It makes me sad and angry.

#USA #Europe