where YOUR memories live again

Those of us not on the shuttle 
were left to mill about more.
I almost believed for a second 
that the souvenir shops located in the Plaza
were there to help tourists pass the time 
between mansion tours--
but just for a second. 
I know, as an educated consumer,
that all these shops are merely tools
of a capitalistic patriarchy
designed to rob the people foolish
enough to spend money in them 
of their hard earned dollars
to support some corporate, big-whig's salary. 
I also know that my mother 
would love the cute, pink-satin
Christmas ornament with the young,
singing Elvis silhouetted in black 
against the pink background. 
And it's only fifteen dollars.
So I buy this one item; 
that doesn't make me a victim of the system, 
does it?
So what if I buy the ten, plastic,
Graceland cups for two dollars?
I promised several people I would
bring them back something from the trip.
Am I now as stupid as the other people buying this crap?
I am on this trip for scholarly reasons!
So don't tell me I'm acting like a tourist, ok?
I'm just trying not to be conspicuous as a researcher. 

--anonymous scholar-fun