Where's the magic..?

I went to see a heavy-handed documentary film with Steve last night, 'Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price'. Walmart is really bad. The problem is that most big companies are really bad. Steve knows all this because he stood for the Green Party, in the 2001 election. Cardiff Central. He got 661 votes. I'm proud of him!

He's lost his passion for politics these days, and seems to have come to the conclusion that there are so many big bad companies about that it's impossible to do very much about it at all.

The Walmart documentary made me think about Tooting Bec. Perhaps part of the Tooting Bec magic is that there is no supermarket or big-chain shops at all? There are no big businesses for about a 15 minute walk either side of the tube station. I think big companies may have anti-magic powers. I'm not completely sure... I know Steve believes in the special power of Waitrose muffins.

There are plenty of shabby small businesses at Tooting Bec. Lots of curry houses, a second hand shop, some drycleaners, and an excellent stationers shop - with a shopkeeper who'll do you a good deal on bubblewrap.

There are about 20 near identical 'corner shops' too. There are so many corner shops that there aren't enough corners to go around, these shops are forced to operate on the very-straight main road. It amazes me that all these corner shops thrive. Each has a 6 cans of Stella for £5 offer, milk, bread, and other basic provisions at much more than supermarket prices. In each you can buy toilet paper, Whiskas cat food, washing powder and toothpaste. In none can you buy brioches, tortellini or cayenne pepper. CostCutter is the biggest shop. This means it has more choice of toilet paper, cat food, and washing powder brands.

Steve asked me if there was a cafe where he could buy a coffee before going home. There's no Starbucks or Costa Coffee at Tooting Bec. I don't think there is anywhere where you can sit down and have a nice cup of coffee at breakfast time. I sympathise with Steve's desire for a coffee shop coffee, and maybe a nice danish?

Tooting Bec's failure worried me.

I haven't noticed any tube station magic for a while. The nearest I've come to seeing magic lately was when I saw the Tooting Bec tiger man. I saw him at Leicester Square tube station on Monday teatime.

I took Amy to the National Art Gallery after school. Actually that is kind of magic! To be admiring amazing art just 30 minutes after school finishes... Perhaps that's the magic of Tooting Bec tube? After the art gallery we saw the tiger man at Leicester Square. He had his big Tiger photo strapped to his chest, and a sign displaying the number of tigers left in the wild. I can't remember how many he said it was? 4020 I think.

He must have discovered the wonders of the Northern Line too - to find his way to the West End. Of course I put money in his collection tin. I last saw this special tiger man at Tooting Bec tube station, shortly after I'd blogged about the Green Party's commitment to 'Taming Local Tigers'.

All that's on my old blog, not linking there, sorry....

But perhaps that's interesting? Perhaps that's magic? Now I'm dating a former Green Party candidate and seeing tiger men at Leicester Square? I travelled to Leicester Square yesterday, for our first ever cinema trip. When I asked Steve out, in a very vague way, in my 3rd ever email I mentioned going to the cinema. Now 3 months later we've been to the cinema at last... To see a film that makes me think about Tooting Bec.

I've been thinking about where I was this time last year. June is my splitting up with long-term partner anniversary.

I've also been thinking a lot about my stickers...

I feel like my stickers might need to change. I wondered about butterflies and daisies..? But I think that's pushing things.

But, yes.. Stickers. Magic. Where does it go now I'm almost-nearly very happy?

So there isn't a coffee shop at Tooting Bec, but I still love the place and believe in it's magic.

I also told Steve that I didn't want to buy anything made in China by poorly treated workers. I know it's hard to avoid, but I'd like to try. I know there are catalogues full of organic cotton, ethically correct, clothes.

And I'd like to set up a practical charity, called 'The Practical Charity' maybe? I'd like to counteract the McDonalds effect by setting up friendly vege-burger shops with £1.99 tofu burger kids meals. And you get a wooden toy with it? Ok, maybe the wooden toy's going too far... A plastic toy, but it's made by handicapped people?

Hmm, not sure but perhaps the next stage of the magic is an attempt to change the world?

I think not. Probably the next stage of the magic is just dreaming about all of this. I dream about lots of things...

But isn't it better to believe in good stuff, and dream, and try just sometimes, even if it's just in a little way?

Maybe someone will see one of my stickers one day and smile? If that's the only good thing I can do to change the world it's not bad. It's much better than anything Walmart, or McDonalds or any company that treats it's workers like shit, ever did.

Tooting Bec shopkeepers often smile when I buy stuff, and I know it could be because they're glad I chose them and not a 'corner shop' competitor two doors down the road, but it's still nice that they make you feel welcome. People don't do that in big shops very often. I know a shopkeeper's smile is just a tiny little thing, but it is a very nice tiny thing...

'Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope...'

I can't believe something Steve in an email today has got me Googling political stuff...

I wonder what happens if you google Tooting Bec magic?

It led me here.

To the green of magic trees...

I need to find those trees. And I might pop to Asda on the way back, I need some brioche and tortellini...