Wishing a Very Local Christmas to You

I have very limited means. The gifts I give will largely be small, and not a ton of them at that. So probably I am not going to change the economy single-handedly. But I gotz minions, yeah? All of YOU could make this a real voice, right? (please?)

The idea is simple. Big business has forgotten us. They have mistreated us and ruined the economy. Now if everyone just put their money under a mattress we could spiral into a depression and we don't want THAT. But what if instead, we spend the same amount of money, but we spend it in businesses where we KNOW the people who are running it? What if we buy gifts from artists—where the money directly pays for their supplies and then provides their families with income—no loop through the banks—no hefty overhead. Money just doing what it's meant to do—providing desired goods to US for gifts, and needed income to the people who have actually done the work.

If you don't have a great local selection, may I suggest shopping via Etsy? Or at least investigating craftspeople who are selling their wares online.

Now I do plan to give some items that can't really be purchased this way—books, movies and the like. But the primary gifts for at least half of my people will be centered around artistry.

It's easy, really. I mean sure, it requires some thought about what your loved ones like, but limiting to a domain where you can find something home made that perfectly suits them—there is something liberating about it. I know for my parents and boss I am much happier with the ideas I've got than I have been with gifts I've found browsing stores.

I hope I'm not too late with this message—surely many of you still have gifts left to buy. As for me, I know some talented jewelry makers, knitters, quilters, crafters, photographers.

So I just thought I'd give you a sampling of some pictures I really love. The photographer is a high school friend of mine, Mike Hudson...

I love the variety of subject matter he has, and that the things he chooses are local to where I grew up, and therefore meaningful to people from the area.

So that was my little holiday political plea... but it's not really politics at all. It is community, and close to home. Or that's how I see it.