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Written by Jeremy Mims
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the story of Stone Soup. If not, it goes something like this:
A few wanderers show up in a village.
They stop at a few houses and politely inquire with the residents if they would be willing to share some food with them. Each one says no. Discouraged, the wanderers come up with a plan. They fill a large pot with water, drop a stone in, and place it over a fire in the center of the village.
As the villagers become curious, the wanderers inform them that they’re making stone soup. It’s delicious but it would be so much better if they only had a carrot, a potato, a bit of celery, etc. They agree to share a bowl of their concoction with the one who helped their soup reach ever greater delectability. One by one, the villagers participate in the creation of this stone soup by adding little bits of food. At the end, the whole village shares in a delicious stew unaware that each small contribution added up to a meal for all.
In our travels at OwnLocal, we often feel like those wanderers must have. It’s not always easy to encourage people to do what’s good for themselves and ultimately good for their community. We like to say a rising tide lifts all boats. Nowhere is that more true than on the Internet or in small town dynamics. A great business downtown benefits all businesses. Businesses that can be found on the internet drive more customers to that neighborhood. When many businesses outperform what’s typically possible, it can feel a little like magic.
One of the most gratifying part of what we do is seeing amazing transformations happen.
One day, we’ll be setting up a cooking pot in your town. We’ll provide the stone. Come and bring some friends… and you know, this soup would taste just amazing with a carrot in it…
See you soon!
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