In a nearby neighborhood I jogged past a mom and daughter sitting at a folding table along the street. As I approached, I thought "lemonade stand.... cute!" As I got closer, I saw that the table was covered not with lemonade fixings, but stuffed animals. I registered as I passed that there was a sign that said "Free. Donations to [charity name] appreciated." Or something like that.
Right on, parent! I don't know whose idea it was to not "sell" used stuff, but to give it away and to ask for donations to worthy cause. More normally, when we get the new stuff, the old stuff gets garage-saled or donated (with the intention of tax write-off).
At the same time, I seem to be getting sacked by tons of references to making money, selling, being entrepreneurial (meaning, selling shit to people). I've been thinking about how living in Western Springs is a constant reminder of other families' affluence ... and USE of money.
Recently, there was a trash amnesty day in Western Springs. All afternoon and into the evening people drove by in cars and trucks to find some treasure in other peoples' trash. My memory was that this was mostly "scrapers" looking for metal or usable appliances. But this year it was a much bigger crowd. Families in cars, dispersing at the curb to root through piles. It was young couples. It was single young men. It was a family with kids pulling a wagon. In all honesty, people were throwing away a lot of usable shit. But the general melee. The traffic jam of cars -- 3 wide sometimes. In the photo above, you can see a large van with a huge rack on top and in the back. In the foreground, a young woman who, with her boyfriend/husband, looked to be setting up an entire apartment.
As the van went by, the man in the passenger side shouted to all, "we're winning!"
And I've been reading "How to Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell.
It makes me think of Arnel and his "we can do a trade" for hand-made things.
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