I liked factories as a kid, too. I have memories of going to the Herr’s Potato Chip factory and the Crayola Crayon factory, but now I think “factory” and I think everything that’s wrong with this country: factory farming, big corporations shipping work overseas for cheap, unregulated labor to make low-quality goods, sameness, drudgery. Of course I don’t think factories or industry have to be like that, and a lot of good things come out of factories, but I am not so much a fan of consumer culture.

Also, my family is from Ambridge, so I think I have a totally nostalgia-stuffed vision of the town where it still looks glossy to me in a photograph sort of way. All the old factories were so interesting to me as a kid, because my family members formerly worked there, and it was always like, ‘Ooooh moving things!’ And tons of creepy oil wells on property that have always scared me. Oh, plus, since I know you are a library aficionado, they have a gorgeous library.

I am totally referencing this post, by the way, every time Michael says, ‘whyyyy are we driving all the way to Ambridge/Ohiopyle/Laurel Highlands/McConnell’s Mills to look at things.’ I will be like, ‘See here: traveling locally is important.’