I really liked Joe Heller’s cartoon with all the little container ships and semi rigs spelling out the message BUY LOCAL and then the question that’s on everybody’s minds, “What are we to do?” It seems impossible to get a lot of things at our local stores while nearly everything is available online. And that’s part of the reason the things we want aren’t on the shelves of our local stores.
They’re sitting in a warehouse somewhere thousands of miles from here because those big online companies can afford to stockpile greater amounts of merchandise and wait for us to order it. They may have it in stock but can’t get it to you because of the shortage of semi-drivers. There doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it except wait — or go without.
It all makes us feel a bit unpatriotic, even when we know that certain things aren’t manufactured locally, or within the Midwest or even the United States. However, there are some things we can do to ease our consciences and, maybe even help solve the problem in the long run. The first thing to think about is “do I really need it?” If the answer is “yes” then maybe we can settle for a different brand or something similar that will serve the purpose. Just always remember that the farther things have to be sent to get to you, the more they will cost and the less they will contribute to solving the bigger problem.
If you’re stuck on something because it’s the thing you’ve always used, is familiar and more or less a habit, then maybe it’s time to try something different. Size and distance matter. Small things cost less to ship than large ones, and the miles they have to go can add to the shipping cost. Start your search as close to home as possible. If it isn’t manufactured in Iowa, reach out first to things from neighboring states — in other words, keep the notion of “local” as close to home as you can. Fresh produce from the farmers’ market will be cheaper and better than that from California.
When we are shopping for ourselves and our usual family and household needs, we can most often find something that will fill the need, even if it isn’t exactly what we had in mind or what we usually buy. Those of us who grew up during the Great Depression are probably the most flexible when it comes to settling for what’s available in lieu of what we really want. Too often, that generation had to substitute, recycle or do without and we survived. It wouldn’t be a bad lesson for today’s self-indulgent generation to learn, as well. They’ll survive, at any rate.
Right now, most of us are having trouble with the Christmas season and all the things we want to buy for our families and special friends. My best advice is not to stick too rigidly to the list of ideal presents for each individual; many of those things are likely to be unavailable and you will end up disappointed and frustrated. Instead, look at what is available and imagine if they might surprise and delight one of the special people on your list.
Look to local crafters and artisans for gift items, especially when the recipient is someone who will appreciate handmade, unique one-of-a-kind, unusual and original. Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep; this is a bad time to play fairy godparent and to try fulfilling wishes to the letter. Keep the element of surprise in mind when gift shopping.
If you’re one of those far-thinking people who keep on hand a supply of more or less generic gift items, you probably have a few things stashed away that will fill the gaps until some wanted items are again available — these can be “temporary” gifts accompanied by a note — an announcement that the “real” gift will be forthcoming as soon as available.
And use your imagination. During some of the leaner years of my life, I gave an aunt a dozen of the cheapest little glass votive candle holders from the dime store. She used them for years, as cups for nuts and after-dinner mints on her dining table, as containers for melted butter for lobster lovers, filled with cocktail sauce on a saucer of chilled shrimp, a display of colorful Easter eggs grouped around a chocolate rabbit for an Easter dinner centerpiece. They had cost me 12 cents apiece — less than a dollar and a half — but she enjoyed them in many ways for many years.
Above all, don’t worry about it; we’re all in the same boat, people will understand.