Thoughts on a Gift Economy
The book you didn’t know you needed. The antidote to a world gone crazy.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit over consumerism. Its addictiveness is based in “not enoughness”. We aren’t enough, don’t have enough, aren’t doing enough. It’s exhausting.
Enter the lovely and poetic botanist, ecologist and Native American writer Robin Wall Kimmerer with her fantastic little must-read “The Serviceberry” In it, she discusses the idea of reciprocity, of not commoditizing EVERY. SINGLE. THING in our lives.
The Struggle is Real Y’all: As tariffs loom and the economy tightens and prices rise on everyday items, this little book was such a breath of fresh air! Fear makes people want to gather and hoard. But what if there was a different way to create an abundance mindset? A way to share freely with one another and act in a way that fosters cooperation instead of competition?
I don’t want to spoil the content for those of you who haven’t read it yet, but if you haven’t read it, please - do yourself a favor and put it on the TOP of your TBR pile. I promise this quick read will soothe your anxiety and calm your fears and help create a tiny road map to move forward in the coming days. A new lens with which to see the world and your place in it. A way to experience nature and participate in the give-and-take of the world around us without stripping the world of its resources.
Sound like a tall order? It does, doesn’t it? In fact it seems some days like an unscalable wall surrounding an insurmountable task. But I promise you that if you get in your lane and look around you, there are small differences you can make every day that can and will propel the world toward better things, and build authentic relationships along the way.
A Gift Economy vs. A Market Economy: What if not everything had to be bought and sold? What if as a community we each shared our abundance, whether that was knowledge or skills or food or time or money? Then each of us could breathe a little deeper, rest a little easier. This is one of the things I hated about trying to learn about branding and marketing: The idea that every one of my skills and talents is a potential money-maker. The idea of commoditizing and then monetizing everything I know, while a practical way to run a business, starts to feel icky if you take it too far. It takes you to the point where you yourself are a commodity. More potential and less human. That doesn’t feel very good.
What does feel good is helping others. Both giving and receiving are balms to our battered souls. Sharing and giving out of our abundance feels way better than spending and acquiring and hoarding. So what are some small ways we can put these concepts to work?
Community Sharehouses: Rather than donating to Goodwill, look around for community Share programs that will find ways to get still useful items to persons or students experiencing homelessness or having trouble making ends meet.
Schools / University Free Stores: Items can be recycled / upcycled so that families don’t have to spend a fortune on these things when a lot of us have loads of things we no longer have need of. Graduating seniors? Donate your dorm room items. Families with extra income? Buy a few extra essential school supplies when you go to the sales and donate the extra to families that might be struggling.
Victory Gardens: As food becomes more expensive, consider different ways that you can grow some of your own food. I am a master gardener, and I am always amazed at the clever ways people find to squeeze food into small spaces or create edible landscapes. DIY garden channels abound on YouTube. And if you really don’t have any space to grow your own, find someone who does and see if you can’t trade services like sewing or babysitting or dog walking in exchange for a share of fresh produce.
Libraries / Little Free Boxes: Libraries now stock real paper books as well as giving access to e-books and audio books. The way to learn almost anything starts by reading about it, and our community libraries are inherently set up as a shared / gift economy. We borrow the books and promise to take care of them and return them so someone else can benefit from them next! There are also Little Free boxes popping up all over the place. Books, mugs, toys, puzzles… all kinds of things are being exchanged in a “give one / take one” kind of set-up.
Free Farm Stand: Got extra produces from your garden / property? Build a simple set of shelves or a small farm stand from recycled pallets or other lumber and put out a sign! Cars can stop and pick up a fresh zucchini or a basket of berries on the way home. Or donate your excess produce to your local food bank once a week.
Volunteer / Get Involved: If you’re thinking “How am I going to find others who want to do this?” you have to start by going to where they’re already at. People with these same types of shared values tend to flock to opportunities to share their skills and passions within their communities. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Master Gardeners, and community clean-ups are fantastic places to meet people who might also be willing to participate in reciprocal giving.
These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. I’m sure there are dozens more right around where you live. I know it’s tempting to pull in and hoard and hide when we get afraid, but then who’s winning? I’ll tell you who’s winning: fear. That’s putting ourself in survival mode where we hunker down and hoard, hoping that eventually the danger will pass us by. But really, that’s no way to live. Besides, one of the best antidotes to fear is action. Find a way to do things differently. And when you start to give freely, the floodgates begin to creak open.
Or just start by reading Robin’s book. Let its message soothe your soul and give you hope for a different future. We can get through this, but not as individuals. Together, we can accomplish so much more than what we can separately.
I am reaching my hands out into the world. Even if no one else does, I see you. I feel you. I’m right there with you. Looking for a way to change my experience of this world. One step at a time.
PS - Robin Wall Kimmerer’s previous book: Braiding Sweetgrass is on my short list of favorite books of all time. Highly recommend that one as well!
