Found myself in the British Library yesterday feeling irritated at the £3 I had to spend to copy 15 pages at 20pence per page. (Yes – it’s the trivial stuff that really matters, don’t let anyone tell you different).
Over a coffee and Green and Black’s chocolate bar (£1.90) later on I found myself wondering at how easy it is not to blanche at buying a pint (~£2.50-£3) but easy to bridle at an equivalent cost for getting access to some thought-provoking ideas (Milton Klonsky on Coney Island in this case) that could be with you the rest of your life.
Easy to think this is just a case of warped values I suppose: obviously ideas are far more valuable than coffee or alcohol… But if you need the coffee to take in the ideas, and want the regular enjoyment of a pint and a laugh with friends then….
