Skip to main content

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)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more