By Grace Maselli
Yes sirree. There were 18 of us today and a LOT of food and bonhomie to go around. Member Andy LePage hosted at his place and made a fact sheet about timebanking, home-brewed decaf iced tea, and a turkey to boot. Some of his fact sheet’s highlights: What is a timebank and how does it work? It’s a community of members who exchange what they love to do with other TBT members, engaging their skills and abilities—and members who understand the value of asking for help when they need it. It’s a system where your hour is equal to every other person’s hour; the rich don’t get richer and the poor don’t get poorer! And it’s a community where we extend trust and reciprocity across social, economic, ethnic and linguistic lines, weaving community one hour at a time!
The event’s smorgasbord of foodstuff filled stomachs and set the stage for fun and dialogue—information-sharing about timebanking. Seems TBT may have sent off an auspicious satellite to the north, with the murmurings of a new timebank spearheaded by Andy in Spring Hill getting louder. Part of our dialogue also helped us get things rolling with a group icebreaker, where everyone shared from the following six quick writing prompts.”Tell Us”:
…something about yesterday
…something you do well
…something about your childhood
…something you learned last week
…something you can’t live without
…something you watch/listen to
The overall conversation about timebanking was also salted and peppered with meaningful commentary including, “We see human beings as assets,” and “Timebanking is a series of social acts of organized benevolence.” So put that bee in yer bonnet and join the community!