I was standing in my friend Anita’s General Mercantile store in Tishomingo, Miss., rearranging handmade candles. I feel right at home in Anita’s cozy family store, which makes you want to boycott forever big, cold box businesses.

I had noticed a gaping merchandising hole. So I carefully placed the same number of Auburn University candles on the same high shelf with candles advertising that other school, Alabama. I stepped back to look. Not right yet. I slyly put the Auburn candles in front. Perfect.

Later that day I mentioned to my husband how clever I’d been.