If You Don't Shop Locally You Could Be Cutting Off Your Nose To Spite Your Face

Are we all guilty of not supporting our community stores? I know many of us who are active in the blogging world frequently comment on how we like the sense of community we all have here; it's important to us. Now most of us on Realtown Blogs  are involved in the Real Estate profession in one way or another (I am a Realtor®), so we also hear clients talk about their sense of community and we help them find communities in which to live. My take on it is that a Sense of Place, a Sense of Community is important to us, no matter what our jobs, be we Firemen, Lawyers, Teachers, or Shopkeepers! That last category is near and dear to my heart.

What got me going on this topic was my recent order of a blogging book. First instinct was to go to a famous on line bookstore and yes it's a fabulous site. And yes, I am out of books to read, and I get cranky when that happens, so I really don't want to wait too long to get this book - which I could have in several days if I get it from this famous on line bookstore. But then I thought about it again. Supporting my community (which I consider to be all of Northeast Ohio) is important, so why not buy it locally? I went to such a place, had a great conversation with the bookstore owner, who is ordering it for me and I should have it Wednesday or Thursday. Not too shabby. If I am really in book withdrawal between now and then I can go to the library!

Now maybe you are all rolling your eyes. Is she nuts? Well yes, but not about this. In order for our communities to thrive and keep making us feel like we belong somewhere, our shopkeepers need to stay in business! Let me throw out this theory: that without vibrant shopping areas communities die. Without vibrant shopping areas, no one wants to live there, the schools suffer, jobs suffer, the housing stock suffers. And yes I know, none of us has as much free time as we would like. I guess I'm not asking that we do ALL of our shopping in the neighborhoods, but I am saying, please think about it!

We have tons of cool places to shop here in Cleveland: The Lorain Station Historic District, is a long, long stretch of shops covering every kind of item imaginable. Ten Thousand Villages is run by volunteers and has several Cleveland locations. When you purchase gifts from them (and you Realtors® this is a fabulous place for closing gifts as well), you are supporting Fair Trade small business and craftspeople from all over the world. As well as your community!

As for that book I ordered, one of my favorite bookstores doesn't even have a website: Appletree Books in Cleveland Heights. But I have linked here some reviews that show you why people love it so much. Now if you DON'T live in Ohio, you might be tempted to not look at this link. I'm asking you to do it even if you live in New York or Idaho -- The sentiments expressed in these reviews, dollars to doughnuts, reflect how people in YOUR state feel about their independently owned bookstores too. I would venture to say that bookstores help me feel more lilke I have a wonderful Sense of Place than just about any other kind of store.

We all love our Internet (and thank you Al Gore for inventing it), our blogging, our websites. And yes, it is possible to develop, through a blogging community, a Sense of Community that we all would never want to live without. I'm just asking that you pause and think about how valuable your community is to you. And whenever possible, please support the shopkeepers within that community wherever you live, so your own hometown shopping districts can continue to thrive and prosper.

My name is Carole Cohen and I approve this message :-)