Clearly the buzz these days is about economic crisis, plummeting stocks, increase in food and gas prices and concern for the future. Being in Ashland for just over two years I see businesses closing at such rapid rates it is hard to keep up. Each time I walk down Main Street another vacant space posts a huge ‘For Lease’ sign in the window.
I feel strongly that in this time of economic crisis it is important to hold hands and support one another. It was not until I moved to this tiny town of 20,000 that I understood just how important this was. With over 250,000 visitors each year it is easy to forget just how small the community is and how dependent many businesses and individuals are on tourism and one other.
Why not support each another and take a ‘staycation’ instead of a vacation? Leave your laptop and phone at home and nestle in a local B&B, have a nice dinner at a local restaurant, get a spa treatment, take a yoga class, see a play, have wine and dessert out, sleep in and lazily go for a long brunch at your favorite local spot. We often spend unbelievable amount of time on the web searching for the best deals on books, CD’s, clothing, hiking gear etc. Why do we not just spend a few more dollars and save tons of precious time and buy locally. This saves so many environmental resources in the end (shipping materials, gas etc) and helps the local economy thrive.
