survival store

Just finished reading Time magazine's article, 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1884779,00.html Much to consider. While I may at some point discuss my thoughts on the new Calvinism, I wish to explore another idea, that being the survival store. The vision they described is "a place where you can get the goods you need — low-cost food, clothing built to last a few winters, a bike to substitute for the new car you can't afford — while offering experiences that help you cope during these difficult times. Why couldn't you float from the food department to the living-and-leisure department, where you could meditate with a local Yogi? Or to the education department, where experts could offer sensible financial advice?" I guess there are already places similar in existence where you "can buy food and have their computers fixed."

I absolutely love this idea, and in some way it sounds familiar. I was reading the article and I laughed as i pictured an old general store. You know, the town center. The place where our grandparents or great-grandparents went to sell/trade/buy. It was where you went to learn about current events. If you needed to make a phone call, they were the only one's to have a phone. It was more than a shopping experience because they knew you and cared for you, not just your money. It was a friendly place where life happened.

Commercialism destroyed this concept almost stomping it out completely. As people became more and more financially secure after the Great Depression we wanted to protect our resources....and flaunt them. Our world suddenly became a dog eat dog world, from the corporations to the private consumer. I am glad that we are recognizing the err in our thinking.

I have seen modern examples of this. I spent time down in the New Orleans area helping out after Katrina. Much during that time made me cry. Some, however, like the Made With Love Cafe, made me smile. After working a few hours gutting out homes, our group made their way to the Made With Love Cafe, or the "hippie dip" as it was known to eat and socialize. Every day, tons of hippies served free homemade meals to hundreds of home owners and workers. The food was served to us by wonderfully friendly people who came from all over the US to help in this way. They lived on site, and not only provided meals, but also clothes and other services. We ate under circus tents, which provided a needed escape from the sun. Life happened under the tent as we eat. Stories were shared, games were played, friends were made. I wish I could have been there at night, as I saw advertisements for Bible studies and Wicca studies as well as many other events. From what I saw, it truly was one of the few ways people had of socializing and escaping from the reality at hand.

It is a nice surprise to see new, innovative ways to build life, and community. In today's economically challenged world, I wait in anticipation to see more shops like the "hippie dip" and those described in this article. I long for a place "where everybody knows your name".