Reciprocal

Do you remember learning about the Law of Conservation of Mass? You know, the scientific principle that matter is neither created nor destroyed*. Believe it or not, it actually came to mind today as I was driving around in Columbia.

I was passing the old Krispy Kreme when it struck me. Columbia now has a bank (well, a credit union) that used to be a donut place, and a donut place that used to be a bank. The latter would be the Oakland Mills Dunkin’ Donuts that used to be the Columbia Bank.

Pretty trippy, huh?

Perhaps there is a corollary that the bank-to-baked goods ratio must be maintained. The transformation of matter must be reciprocal.

A similar local example might be the Burger King that folded on Center Park Drive, only to be recreated several years later, less than half a block away.

“I’m sorry, a Burger King just won’t work in this location.”

“Okay. How about a few doors down?”

Back to my original premise. Since we now have a grocery store that used to be the headquarters of the Rouse Company and its successors, it seems that we are long overdue for corporate headquarters located in what used to be a grocery. Hmm...Long Reach, I’m looking at you.

While we are at this game of hardly scientific whimsy, I’ll field suggestions. What else around town seems likely? How about these hypothetical trade-offs?

• school/concert venue 
• mall/housing
• library/restaurant 

It’s Monday. I’m definitely open to some silliness of a local nature. Remember, it has to work both ways to fit the premise. Give it your best shot.

*The law implies that mass can neither be created nor destroyed, although it may be rearranged in space, or the entities associated with it may be changed in form. (Wikipedia)