1. I'm a person who loves to talk, and most days, one who loves to listen. There's something about a deep conversation with a person that you've never had the opportunity to know. The way that the human soul can open up and begin to communicate on a deeply trusting level with a seemingly perfect stranger has always astonished me. I'm always so thankful for these times.
2. I'm a deeply passionate person. This also means that I'm committed and fiercely loyal to those that I truly love. There are some downsides to my passionate personality, but if you give me the grace enough to see my heart you'll understand why it's a quality that I refuse to change. (Although I'm always looking for ways to communicate those passions in a more appropriate way).
This post is about something that i'm passionate about. It's not my deepest passion, nor is it even close, but this head holds many strong opinions. :)
(And this is the point where I let you down by not talking about spirituality, sorry).
I believe in community. I believe in locally made products which are made by skilled artisans who deliver immaculate pieces of art in everything that they do. I believe in locally grown. I love farmers markets and anything that will support this almost dead lifestyle. There's something so romantic about this larger than life community scope that I simply adore. I would rather own just a little less, but enjoy what I do, because I built relationships with the people that made it. (And even when I didn't, because the people that I try to buy from are always trying to contribute to the bigger picture and they go outside of themselves to do so). I love knowing where something started, where it ended up, and where it is going.
I still shop at Wal-mart for convenience, and that seems a little hypocritical, but hey Springfield yields a lot of small businesses and community opportunities, but during the winter I must buy fruit. That being said this post all leads up to a video about an Alabama clothing company, started by a woman with a vision, who supports the larger community and the smaller artisans that work for her.
Just watch and see if you don't feel a little bit more inspired to find what's around you.
Handmade Portraits: Alabama Chanin from Etsy on Vimeo.
3 comments:
I'm with you! Where I live in Corvallis Oregon we have a huge community of "BUY LOCAL". It's a way of life, a state of mind and sometimes hard to do but I do believe that if you are always thinking of ways to support your local business that your community benefits. Great post Heather!
I just started a landscape company in Edmonds, WA, where I have lived for most of my life. More recently I joined the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce in an effort to develop relationships with other business owners in our quaint city on the water. While my involvement in the Chamber has definitely brought more business, the greatest return has been an increased sense of my belonging to this community.
In my opinion, it's foolish to do business with anyone who's not within 6 degrees of separation. Someone you know knows someone who can provide what you need from groceries to tire rotations.
Lainy: I want to live in a community like this so badly! I wish Springfield would get into this more. We're on our way, but it's not even close.
Anonymous: Way to get involved in your community and good luck with your business. And I totally agree, I don't even like the big cooperate picture. I love having that sense of belonging and community is something that we're definitely loosing here in America.
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