Gasoline, Helping Neighbors, and Mom and Pop Businesses (Lexington: appliances, house)

[LCA2013]

Just wanted to share an unusual idea told to me by my friend about what her neighbors did (actually 11 neighborhoods are doing) in TN.

They got together (her last count on the sign up sheet was 308 families) and decided to sign a pledge TO NOT DRIVE for the last three days of each month.

During the summer, starting the last weekend of May thru Labor Day, walking and biking. She said they will shop at a local grocery, walk to church, bike to work, or take a few days off to spend some quality time with family, and do anything necessary to not fill up.

She said they were doing it for many reasons; one to capture simplier times, two was to help the environment, three was to teach their children when grandpa said he walked a mile to school and back each day, he meant it, and her list was filled with wonderful reasons.

She told me all the neighbors were doing is tying a GREEN RIBBON on their front door and signing a pledge sheet. Many of the parents are pledging their children to help out the local elderly with their needs, old lawnmowers from the past are being used or any use of gas has to be used prior to the weekend.

She said the first weekend, they are having a huge outdoor feast with homemade foods that do not require use of any gas appliances or grills. They are doing this also, to get to know their neighbors who they pass each day in their cars and to share with others who may be suffering in these hard economic times.

She said they are planning to have a Trash to Treasure Community Sale, where everything is traded. No money needed. I think all of this is awesome. It is true community spirit. If anyone thinks this is as wonderful as I do, please let my friend know. She reads the Lexington posts.

[Wing Feathers]

Whatever you gotta do to delude yourself

The fuel not used on these 3 days will be used the very next day when you have to run the errands you put off.

But I do like the idea of families coming together... but then again once I got to really know my neighbors I stayed indoors whenever I could

[LCA2013]

Originally Posted by drinkme

Whatever you gotta do to delude yourself

The fuel not used on these 3 days will be used the very next day when you have to run the errands you put off.

But I do like the idea of families coming together... but then again once I got to really know my neighbors I stayed indoors whenever I could

I can understand your doubt, but I see something greater here than using a few extra trips of gas or not using them.

As a society, we have become dependent on every gadget known to man, including the internet when communicating with others. Is this not a time when there is no real reason gasoline should rise or is this not a time when "going green?" is not what is in? Communicating with our kids has become only a few moments in route to the next event and I know I am guilty of this. Maybe, I should have included her entire email in my message, but she told me out of excitement and not to receive a pat on the back.

Thank you for caring enough to share how you felt personally. As for your neighbors, you sound like you are a sensitive soul and that is their lost.

My friend did tell me they were doing their Saturday dry cleaners, grocery shopping, video store run, and other stuff just like normal. They are just doing an alternate kind of transportation to complete the task. I still give her two thumbs up.

[LCA2013]

Just an update on my friend and her 11 neighborhoods of new friends. She said they had an awesome weekend. Her next door neighbor met someone a couple of blocks over and landed a new job, and she said a couple of old high school classmates found each other again (yes! a man and woman after 20 years). She told me this was the most positive event. She said the best part was her family reconnected, walking to her child's soccer game, holding hands with her husband, and watching the kids ride bikes was the best part for her. She said everyone agreed that this was a wake up call.

The funniest part was someone forgot (she took full blame) to call the police and alert them about all the people who would be gathering in the tiny park across the street from her house. After lots of details, the police offered to help watch to be sure the children could play safely and the event would come off without any problems. She said she had lots of people show and sign up Saturday at her house and the count is over 500.

Her husband and many of the men suggested they use this next weekend to do something wonderful like helping neighbors fix up their homes. They found out there was an elderly man whose home is in such bad shape that no one wants to buy it (it has been on the market for a year) and he needs around the clock care if he could afford it. She said one of the teenagers told her that when they gave him the flier about the event. They saw he could not read it. That was the sad part of the weekend, but she said she sure made her children stop and think. They had never known anyone who could not read. She said the teenagers were planning on getting together to see if they can help him in some other ways.

My friend is a terrific lady, first class all the way.