Consumer Culture and Religion (Text is below image)

























Byers Vaccum, 77 East University Avenue, Champaign, IL 61801

I took this photo on May 21, 2008, at 6.30pm with my Nokia 5300 cell phone.

I have driven past this store countless times as it is on a busy street I drive to go to downtown Champaign, where friends and I often meet. And of course, I also pass it on the way back home. Yesterday, my neighbors and I drove to Jupiter's to pick up a pizza, which we ate on my back patio (very nice). I was the front seat passenger in my neighbor C.'s SUV, riding as the "shotgun" passenger is a great experience if you are usually driving in your own car . We approached this store, and as we were passing it, I was eye level with the window, and somehow, I opened my turtle shaped tiny purse and took out my camera phone and asked my friend to please slow down so I could take a photo and she did! and the car behind us honked. The neighbor's husband, A. and 6 month old baby, C. were in the back seat of the car, and he was saying, yes, right on. I asked my neighbor, C., could we please circle around again so I can take a better shot, and she said, yes, sure! And C. circled around and entered traffic - without waiting for a red light, the store is at an intersection with a light - and we sat in front of the store, with the hazard lights blinking as cars sat behind us, and C. said, "My hazards are on, you can go around!" An excited and tense emotion in the car, A. said taking this photo is similar to shooting when he was a Marine, the tension waiting for the right moment. And I got it and we were so excited.

Comments

Cyril Crozier said…
I remember seeing that religious sign in that exact store front. Weird. That little strip of University needs some serious work. It would be a good rehab project that would link Campustown to downtown.
May 26, 2008 at 8:27 PM
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