Now that the holidays are coming to an end. It's time for all of us to consider what resolutions we'll make for the coming year. We won't always be able to follow our own guidelines, but we can little by little make a big difference in our own communities.
This Year, 2012 Can be Different.
This year we can watch our dollars more carefully and recycle more of our cash into our own community with small businesses that recycle those dollars again and again.
For birthday gifts, anniversaries and other special occassions there is no better or more thouoghtful gift that one produced by American hands. Hundreds of websites and thousands of stores sell great products Made in America. FindAmericanMade.com
Think outside the box. If you can’t get to a store carrying American made-- there are other gifts that can only
be provided by local businesses and American labor. Almost everyone – can use a gift certificate for a haircut or salon service.
Who wouldn't appreciate receiving a gift certificate for a pottery or photography workshop. Gift certificates from small bakeries, cafes and restaurants are great gifts. Shop your farmers market for locally made jams and jellies. Often, the best gifts often come from your time and personal effort. Mow the lawn or plow the drive for an elderly neighbor.
Main Street Matters. If we really care about our local small businesses on Main Street, now is the time to show it. Many of your small business neighbors haven’t taken home a paycheck in months, or even three years-- but they still keep a commitment to their employees, even when their financial lives are on the line. Your business will help them keep their doors open.
Were you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery, incredible handmade soaps and beautiful wooden boxes. So many small towns now have a local potter, glassblower or handmade shop. If you can’t find just the right thing in your neighborhood there are another 400,000 artists selling their wares on Etsy.com.
Plan your special event outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave the server a nice tip. How about going out to see a play at your local community theatre.
You see, our special occassions in life, no longer need to drain our pockets. We can lower our national debt, and refuse to support countries, where workers are overworked and underfed in dangerous factories.
Special occassions should be about caring about for US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams.
When we care about other Americans, we care about our neighbors, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine. When we buy from big box retailers our dollars never land in our local banks to be counted for investing in local loans. Those big box bucks leave our country before sundown!
Recycling our dollars in our local community and throughout our national economy could be a new American tradition. It’s time we wear out every dollar by recycling those bucks, round and round again… right here at home. If we all spent $50 on American Made products or services every month the recession over putting trillions into the marketplace.
Isn't this how we should celebrate those special moments?
Wendy Rosen
