Community Friday - Self Reliance Saturday - Meaningful Make it Yourself Monday: Unplugging from Mass Consumerism.

Thanksgiving is over, and everyone knows what that means. Black Friday, happens. The craziness ensues.  And then the official "Holiday Shopping Season" begins.  Apparently we don't shop enough every day of every season, and this is a SPECIAL time, to buy even MORE.  

For the more liberal minded, for those not into the crazy, or for those who want to support local home town businesses, then perhaps, "Small Business Saturday" is more your speed.  A great idea, don't get me wrong.  Shopping at small local businesses is certainly a hands down, vastly better choice than shopping at large mega corporations that do not help the local economy and destroy the environment.  But still, it's shopping.  It requests your continual participation.  Please RSVP.

I guess um, Sunday...we take the day off?  I dunno, nor do I care.  Stores are still open I'm sure, but I dunno if Sunday gets a special name. However, fear not! On Monday, if you still haven't shopped enough yet, or if you weren't into the holiday crowds, you get the opportunity for "Cyber Monday."  Lucky you!  Ca-ching!  Get out the credit cards and get shopping!

Ok, so the small local business groovy option is my favorite, if I have to choose.  But wait!  What if I don't wanna choose?  What if I don't wanna do any of it?  What if, even though I love my local candle shop, I have no need for a candle right now, beeswax or otherwise?  I may love my local crafts people, but what if I really do not need any more chatckas, none whatsoever.  Nor do I want to buy these things for my loved ones, considering I am perfectly capable of making them cool things on my own.  Not to be a buzz-kill.  But as always, I like to take things a step beyond the "fitting into the system, but doing things differently" option.  

So, yeah.  Here's my choice.  How about NOT shopping, at all?  And while we're at it, how about re-naming the days?  I'm proposing, "Community Friday", "Self Reliance Saturday", and "Meaningful Make it Yourself Monday". I am also a strong supporter of replacing the reigning title "Holiday Shopping Season" with the simple yet traditional, "Autumn".  A time where you stay at home, often, with your friends and family.  Making apple cider and mead, sewing sweaters and making stew.  Buying nothing except the regular essentials, stepping off the hamster wheel of this money based society for just a minute. Initiating a bold, yet practical act of resistance.  What if all the crazed holiday shopping just stopped, period, and like my wise little brother said the other day, we put our collective energy into our communities instead? 

Regular person: "So, how do we even begin doing what you are suggesting?  Money is our means of survival and there is no way to change that.  Shopping locally is the best we can do.  You're just an Idealist."

Idealist: "Well, regular person, here are some very practical ways that you can start unplugging from mass consumerism and start plugging into a culture of co-operation and sustainability.  Enjoy." :)

Step One- "Community Friday": 

Instead of participating in "Black Friday", create "Community Friday" in your town.  Organize the event at your local community garden or community center.  Request that everyone bring their Thanksgiving left overs or if left overs are already over (or if one does not participate in the holiday), ask folks to bring some other delicious dish to share. 

Also request that everyone able, bring items they no longer need or want, to give away to those in need or to barter.  Blankets, electronic equipment, clothes, bikes, children's toys, tools, canned goods, anything that is usable.  Also crafts or homemade goods to barter like herbal salves and tinctures, jams and sauces, pickled/ lacto-fermented goods, leather products, pottery/ glass works, handmade clothes or blankets, woodwork, anything you made yourself.  Especially great if the ingredients were grown by you and materials were recycled or acquired sustainably or locally. Give your kids the opportunity to get involved by having them bring or make things they can barter as well.  Stuff like lemonade, cookies, cool shells or rocks they found and decorated, pretty dried leaves or flowers, drawings or artwork, toys and dolls they have grown out of, stuff from your farm like eggs or milk that they helped collect.  

If you are having the event at the community garden, have everyone harvest some veggies to take home with them. If there are chickens, then give all some eggs to take home as well. Make sure to give the kiddos their chance to do some harvesting, and to get eggs from the chicken coop.  Help them understand the connection between food and community.  Let em have the opportunity to see how enjoyable it is to connect with their food in such an intimate way.

Set up workshops, or lectures (see below links for content), or just sit and talk about possible community projects and activities. One idea is to create a discussion on what a strong local barter and/or local currency could look like longer term. Ask questions like, what would happen if we started viewing our economy in a different way?  What if the economy we know now, no longer supported us, how would we make the transition?  What if we considered ourselves and our human community as part of the larger ecosystem, as opposed to an isolated economy?  And, if you succeed in creating a strong local barter system or local currency, invite your small local businesses to participate.

Some ideas and resources for long term change and sustainability in your town: 

How to build a Community Garden if you don't already have one: http://www.communitygarden.org/about-acga/

How Todmorden England is growing all it's own vegetables: http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk/ and http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/feb/18/50-new-radicals-incredible-edible

How to become a Transition Town: http://www.transitionus.org/about-us

How a Massachusetts County Created a Local Currency: http://www.berkshares.org/whatareberkshares.htm

How a Greek town developed a Local Barter System: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17686384

How Santa Fe, New Mexico Utilizes the Barter System: http://www.santafetimebank.org/SFTB/SFTB.html

Step Two- "Self  Reliance Saturday":

"Small Business Saturday" has an important place and function. We all love our local businesses and many of us have one of our own.  Supporting them and ourselves, is important.  However, there are many ways we can become more self reliant and less dependent on the monetary system.  So, in addition to "Small Business Saturday", try also creating "Self Reliance Saturday".

"Self Reliance Saturday" can be another day spent in the community garden together, or at a community center, or even at home with a large group of friends and family.  Instead of shopping all day, dedicate most of the day to learning from your community and teaching your special skill sets.  Sewing, cooking, canning, herbal medicine making, proper use of tools, DIY projects, etc.  Organize a wild food walk with a local person in the know. Become acquainted with your natural "community" as well, and what it has to teach

Set up classes or workshops for the day, and have the community sign up for what classes they want to take and what they would like to teach.  Or do it more informally at home with your family.  Make beautiful gifts together or simply learn how to craft the simple necessities.  Teach your kids how to knit a scarf or take them fishing.   Build a tree house together.  Make a special doll with natural materials together.  Milk the goats and make cheese together.

All that you harvested from the community garden on "Community Friday", can now be utilized in what you make on "Self Reliance Saturday" and again, include the kids.  Instead of dragging them from store to store, teach them where things come from and how it's done.  Incorporate projects you know will excite them, engage them in activities that peak their interest and get their creativity flowing.  

Many stores, even some local small businesses, buy their stock from overseas factories, who employ local people who are often hired because they can still utilize basic self reliance skills.  We can re-learn these skills ourselves.  Sometimes buying from grassroots organizations that support poor villages or who enforce safe working conditions can help support the impoverished.  However, more often than not, our global economy is what is impoverishing other nations.  Ultimately, local self reliance helps us all.   

Step Three- "Meaningful Make it Yourself Monday":

Short and sweet.  Don't spend all of your time shopping online on "Cyber Monday".  Let the day instead, be "Meaningful Make it Yourself Monday". Sure there will be some deals you can't pass up at places you regularly shop online, small businesses even.  But here's the thing.  Email a friend, while you are online and tell them you love them.  Call a family member and say hi.  Make it a meaningful day.  Put your skills to work that you learned on "Self Reliance Saturday". Finally make that homemade mascara recipe you saw online, that natural homemade deodorant, or the amazing looking homemade shaving cream.  If it comes out great, make a couple more for friends and family as gifts.  Invite the neighbors over, and do it together.  Keep the momentum going.

I actually do want to make all the things I just mentioned.  Here are the links, if you want to make them too... :)

Homemade Mascara: http://thankyourbody.com/all-natural-homemade-mascara/ 

Natural Homemade Deodorant: http://frugallysustainable.com/2011/11/homemade-probiotic-deodorant-that/ 

Amazing Looking Homemade Shaving Cream: http://earthchangesnetwork.blogspot.com/2012/11/for-guysrosemary-mint-shaving-cream.html

And here we are.  Overall, try spinning the wheel differently this year.  Put the breaks on the fast car and bring it to a stop. Or at least slow it down enough so that someone you care about can walk alongside you. Take in the view together.  Stop for a picnic.  This is about reclaiming our natural rhythms, returning autumn to it's well earned roots.  This is a time to reflect, to go inward, to find peace, to nest with the family.  I think it's way past time to take back the holiday, the once considered holy-day, season.  Go for it. 

~ECN  © 2012 All rights reserved