Strutting

I just got back from Oregon on Sunday. How did I know I was in Oregon? Perhaps, because everywhere I went they reminded me.

In the airports and in the shopping areas, you see Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Oregon wines, Oregon shirts from Pendleton, Oregon white water rafting on the Rogue River. They even have Oregon stores. That’s what they’re called because they sell only Oregon products. So why Oregon and not Arizona?

We may be the Grand Canyon State, but we do have a few more things to offer. Why aren’t there Arizona stores? Sure, I know you can buy our college and professional team gear in a lot of places that are licensed to do that, like sporting goods stores and everywhere else with a t-shirt rack, but I’m talking about a shop at Sky Harbor and Scottsdale Fashion Square that would proudly market Arizona teams and Arizona cactus jellies and chardonnay from Sonoita or Clarkdale. They could even be trusted to sell genuine Native American craftwork.

Arizona stores featuring Arizona products. Why don’t they exist? Perhaps because Arizona would have to learn to strut a little… like Oregon.

I’m Pat McMahon.

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