CMN had this little video on a community farming project. I had to laugh because as I was watching it I realized it was in Portland (OR) - which is where our girls live, and home to a very forward-thinking group mentality. The clip includes ideas on how to start an urban shared-resources community, which you know is near and dear to my heart. The young man's enthusiasm is contagious. I love the hoot he lets out at the end. :-)
I'm also working with a friend on this type of community for women who are trying to kick addiction and take care of their children. It is only in the ideas stage, but I'm excited about the possibilities.
Sharing resources is going to be something we take very seriously in the future. We need to find a way to feed, shelter, and employ people in a way that utilizes our innate skills. Some people love to cook, some love to garden, some love children and are good care-providers, some are good at fixing things. All of these skills are valuable in a shared-resources community.
In his new book, Someplace Like America: Tales From The New Great Depression, writer Dale Maharidge, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and professor at Columbia University, writes:
One thing I’ve discovered in all these years of hearing Americans talk about their lives and dreams is that collectively we are strong. We are survivors. We emerged from hard times in the 1930s. We will do so again and will begin the long process of rebuilding an economy that works for everyone, but this can happen only if we relearn some lessons about caring for and relying on one another. And relearn we will, for we have no other choice.
The reality is that we're on our own. We cannot look to government to fix these problems because our elected officials are nothing more than a function of the money flowing in to Washington, which is not coming from people out of work, destitute, and homeless.
But one thing we do have is each other. And we have American ingenuity, a strong work ethic, and the ability to reinvent ourselves. So don't count us out just yet.
For more on Bright Neighbor go here.
9 comments:
this is a great message...we do need to band together...as the coming days will not be easy at all
OMGosh! what a neat video - great great message - and what absolute enthusiasm and motivation this guy projects - bottom line again for us all is simple: share - it's like that simple thing called - love - it's all we need - for ourselves for each other and for our planet - our future - wonderful post, nancy!
Love this info! Thank you for the video!!
It's certainly true, as proved by the events in London these past few days, that we can only count on ourselves everywhere. The smart shopkeepers banded together to protect their businesses.
A much needed reminder for people everywhere, we are all in this together. Wonderful post.
Right on, Nancy. "All of us" is stronger than "any of us." And we're even stronger when we're working together on something.
The picture at the top of your post looks like it has roof-top gardens. We're trying that in a couple of places here in River City. One of them is at the University.
Grow food on the roof or a vacant lot (the city will let you do that here), cook it yourselves, and share it. That's terribly Canadian, and the American way too, I guess.
I love your optimism. I think that's another American trademark most annoying to the Brits :)
But the Brits have a point. Keep a stiff upper lip. I guess during hard times, a combination of a stiff upper lip, and a stiff drink brings out a whole lot of optimism for the future.
i love this idea of rooftop farming - SO cool. love the foto - gives me such hope ;-)
you are right, nancy, we are the ones we've been waiting for♡
Awesome post! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm reblogging that video!!! I hope your break isn't too long.
Blessings
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