Thinking "Local" Matters to Your Community

There’s so much I love about being in a small Ohio town now, having lived in Los Angeles for sixteen years before moving back to Ohio.

One is, people are so passionate! And I love that one of my best friends since high school is running for a local government position (Trustee). Our township (a township, per my personal unofficial definition, is a cuter, smaller version of a town) is looking for new guidance, and it’s fun and exciting to be part of a galvanized group who wants to help.

Although it may seem small in the grand scheme of things, a local Trustee in a small township is a critical vote. Trustees are the people in charge of determining whether a semi-rural township stays charming, and they make a difference.

So, it’s exciting to see my good friend Kari Matsko run for Concord Trustee locally. Having known her for more than thirty years (!), it’s easy to see how a passion for the environment and the natural beauty of Lake County helped her jump into helping when she really wasn’t planning to do it.

On a larger scale, small towns, and local communities in general, need good stewards now more than ever.

Local communities have always been the backbone of our society in the United States. And, it’s important to balance capitalism with nature and community. Capitalism is critical, and so is community.

So much of what makes America great is about neighbors, and being kind, and helping each other. It’s about preserving beautiful places for our kids to play. It’s about partnering business with people. 

Small towns (and townships) thrive because the people who live there care about their community. And it matters a lot if any one individual cares.

One person really can make a difference... and that person is you. Even if you live in a huge town -- Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago -- one person always makes a difference. 

It’s easy to take an extra moment to buy local and support your "hometown," whether that's actually your local small-town community, or an arts district in a big city.

Local is a mindset. Help someone out who is close to you. Helping your local community can be literal, or a philosophy. Helping a neighbor and your community is open to interpretation. Figure out how you want to make a difference "locally" and go for it! Little things matter. Even telling one other person to "think local" matters.

Thinking "local" matters to your community. Passion matters to every community!