I think where it has a negative connotation is where our personal memories get wiped out when a building or home is torn down or a community institution goes bankrupt or is forced to move from a place they’ve been for a long time.  We take it personal when a place where good memories occurred ceases to physically exist.  The latter is what is happening with the original Goose Island brewpub now that their owners have squeezed every last penny of rent they can get from them.

I guess the only thing I’m really annoyed with concerning Goose Island’s imminent move is that the owner of this building fails to understand the importance of Goose Island being a vital component in the revitalization of its surrounding neighborhood.  For those who recall what that area was like in the mid-1990s, to say it was “transitional” would be generous.  Goose Island, U.S. Beer Company and Best Buy were the only 3 places I can recall worth venturing into that area for.  Now that the area is close to downtown and is considered highly desirable, the owners are trying to squeeze double the production of the golden eggs from their goose. 

But that’s the American way, right?  Ride the success on the backs of your subordinates, become amazingly rich, forget the people who got you there and pull the rug out from under them when it becomes convenient.  Perhaps I’m being dramatic and by no means am I anti-capitalist.  Business people can do what they want with their money and investments.  Far be it from me to tell them how to make money.  Sentiment doesn’t play a part in business transactions like this so while I’m agitated that Goose Island might be forced to move from their flagship location, I can’t fault the owners for knowing what they could charge in rent for that physical structure.  It doesn’t mean I have to like it though.

Let’s take the Way Back Machine to 1998 when a 26 year old earned his M.B.A. (Master’s of Beer Appreciation) with his friend Neil Sullivan (who actually was earning it for the second time – was it his Doctorate?).  Here are two pictures of Graduation Day with our waitress.  One of these photos has me holding a growler (about ½ gallon) of beer.  MBA students got one of these for every 10 beers we drank.  I still have that t-shirt.  The beer is long gone.  The memory remains.

My course load.