What might be improved in our counties and states if we were able to attract and keep local residents IN town to dine and spend at the area's indie businesses - how much of an impact could our decisions make this weekend - yours, mine, ours? Perhaps you are thinking while that sounds great.....umm... it's not really possible to bring about great changes overnight - and you're right. It isn't. Big, positive improvements however, are born out of many tiny choices and little, individual actions!
When you suggest to your fishing buddies to hit up the little rural general store for subs to take out on an afternoon trip - instead of a chain or franchise - you may be encouraging 4 of your friends to join in supporting an independent business owner.
When you decide to run into town for a set of keys at the small hardware store and take your children with you to explore, meet the proprietor and see black and white photographs of HIS family working there 80 years ago.....you could be changing lives by giving your kids perspective and education about economics, commitment and the hard-working American entrepreneurs who built this country.
Should you invite the baseball team over to the indie snowball stand or ice cream parlor instead of a TCBY, you may wind up redirecting the spending of 16 people that day. It's not enough to change lives, no, but what if a few of those kids want to come back so they tell their parents about a new place.....well my friends, you just made an impact.
Each of us has a voice which we can use to suggest, steer, encourage and enlighten others. You invite your peeps to join you and I'll put out better suggestions this weekend to mine too. Maybe together we could bring forth some new ideas - encourage a couple of different ways of thinking - even keep a door or two open, right where we live.
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