I first grasped this concept relative to marbles. Oddly, the best marbles cycled out of the hands of the kids who wanted to play the most, ultimately being taken out of service by those who realized their unique value. Dollars today seem to emulate the same place in our attention span as marbles did back then, so likening them to one another seems appropriate. As I grew, I saw the same thing when living communally at the Ghetto's Palace Yoga Institute, we had multiple income streams including plant sales, incense, crafts and gifts, a laundromat, so occasionally, when someone would wash clothes for instance, we paid our money, but in a way, got it back. Although the value transfer was complete, it was within the family.
I always delighted in buying raspberries from the old lady next door, even though I had my own, hers were wickedly tax-exempt, all I had to do to get "family price" was keep down the rabbit population which I did faithfully with snare and pellet gun. Favor for favor, we called into question whether even trying to ascribe a value to our helpfulness would desecrate our true neighborliness. I think it was six dollars per quart, one dollar off regular price. Having seen Ivy, picking in fingerless gloves into November on occasion, I knew the true cost of those morsels. If she needed furniture moved or plants divided, she would call me.
Another neighbor would always call me for the grape trimming time of year, I just had to let her have a few bunches in the fall so she could make some jam. These essentially non-taxable transfers of "goods" greatly enrich the environment, benefiting both parties, but not necessarily helping others, the way taxable goods do. I recently helped some friends with some money for helping me with work around the house. They are unemployed and jumped at the chance to work. It wasn't much, because we can't afford much, the long and short of the story is that they were next door, at a rummage sale, found a boat and needed cash to buy it. Essentially, the money had changed hand twice between our back door and the neighbors'. It is always a trust game when you go into the market-place, knowing those who benefit from your dollars, or your labor allows a certain kindness, a humanity that perhaps should remain tax exempt, just because of the person to person contact required to do business this way. The best way to "keep money on your block" is to live life as a series of favors, befriending one another in meaningful ways that are deeply appreciated and profoundly meaningful.
At our place, we would like to say, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you to all of our neighbors who put up with our home looking like the stubbed toe down at the end, but with our siding complete, we are coming into the home stretch on ten years of renovation. I still remember working the soil, if you can call it that, in the front yard, building up nearer the foundation and slowly tapering down and away... We were investing in a very real way, sweat for equity. The future of a neighborhood rested upon a few houses, eventually, two of which belonged to me, so there was no possibility of failure. I have continued investing in the homes, their gardens and the relationships with neighbors that build a sense of community. Several neighbors who became friends have taken on gardening projects and we help one another when projects need an extra hand, or better tools than we may have at hand. There are no rental receipts, and more often than not the payment is in beers per hour. Home brewers pay their debts in six packs.
The more we establish tribal societies within a dominant "state" or "nation", the more we will keep wealth on our block. True wealth is being surrounded by people who have skills that you do not, tools you do not own and time to help one another. More than you would expect, the people on your block need skills that you could share. If only, the art of perseverance, or stick-to-itiveness that drives someone to take in their last quart of raspberries in November. When you slow down long enough to meet your neighbors, it is always amazing how tenacious they are. We are all really working hard to keep our dreams alive. Perhaps all we really need is to take the time to listen to other stories. By offering to help, we are undertaking one of the most radical and revolutionary acts one can imagine. It is one of the only ways I know of making sure that everyone is better off. Let the dollars rest, value things by how much they make the recipient smile!
I always delighted in buying raspberries from the old lady next door, even though I had my own, hers were wickedly tax-exempt, all I had to do to get "family price" was keep down the rabbit population which I did faithfully with snare and pellet gun. Favor for favor, we called into question whether even trying to ascribe a value to our helpfulness would desecrate our true neighborliness. I think it was six dollars per quart, one dollar off regular price. Having seen Ivy, picking in fingerless gloves into November on occasion, I knew the true cost of those morsels. If she needed furniture moved or plants divided, she would call me.
Another neighbor would always call me for the grape trimming time of year, I just had to let her have a few bunches in the fall so she could make some jam. These essentially non-taxable transfers of "goods" greatly enrich the environment, benefiting both parties, but not necessarily helping others, the way taxable goods do. I recently helped some friends with some money for helping me with work around the house. They are unemployed and jumped at the chance to work. It wasn't much, because we can't afford much, the long and short of the story is that they were next door, at a rummage sale, found a boat and needed cash to buy it. Essentially, the money had changed hand twice between our back door and the neighbors'. It is always a trust game when you go into the market-place, knowing those who benefit from your dollars, or your labor allows a certain kindness, a humanity that perhaps should remain tax exempt, just because of the person to person contact required to do business this way. The best way to "keep money on your block" is to live life as a series of favors, befriending one another in meaningful ways that are deeply appreciated and profoundly meaningful.
At our place, we would like to say, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you to all of our neighbors who put up with our home looking like the stubbed toe down at the end, but with our siding complete, we are coming into the home stretch on ten years of renovation. I still remember working the soil, if you can call it that, in the front yard, building up nearer the foundation and slowly tapering down and away... We were investing in a very real way, sweat for equity. The future of a neighborhood rested upon a few houses, eventually, two of which belonged to me, so there was no possibility of failure. I have continued investing in the homes, their gardens and the relationships with neighbors that build a sense of community. Several neighbors who became friends have taken on gardening projects and we help one another when projects need an extra hand, or better tools than we may have at hand. There are no rental receipts, and more often than not the payment is in beers per hour. Home brewers pay their debts in six packs.
The more we establish tribal societies within a dominant "state" or "nation", the more we will keep wealth on our block. True wealth is being surrounded by people who have skills that you do not, tools you do not own and time to help one another. More than you would expect, the people on your block need skills that you could share. If only, the art of perseverance, or stick-to-itiveness that drives someone to take in their last quart of raspberries in November. When you slow down long enough to meet your neighbors, it is always amazing how tenacious they are. We are all really working hard to keep our dreams alive. Perhaps all we really need is to take the time to listen to other stories. By offering to help, we are undertaking one of the most radical and revolutionary acts one can imagine. It is one of the only ways I know of making sure that everyone is better off. Let the dollars rest, value things by how much they make the recipient smile!
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