So, I’ve finished my No Buy November. And it went great! I learned lessons. I made friends. I ate delicious dumpster pies. But the best part of it all was my Buy Nothing Day Party + Free Stuff Swap.
The Free Stuff Swap had 2 simple rules…
1. Bring stuff, put it on a table.
2. Anything on a table is free to take. No worry about taking “too much”…if you think you need it it, we trust your judgement. The important part is just stuff getting to a good home.
It was an experiment. Will people just be dumping junk that no one wants? Will no one bring anything, leaving the tables barren? I did my best to make it work, but ultimately, I had to trust a lot to the community.
And the experiment was a great success! 80-100 people showed up. So much stuff found it’s way to a good home. One of my friends who showed up said they got all their “Christmas shopping” done early there…so much reduction of waste!
And so many people had a great time. It really felt like a party, despite most people there having never met before. There were free drinks, snacks, music, dancing, speeches. But it wasn’t just a party…it was the community coming together to make something beautiful, an awesome example of anti-capitalism.
Giving gifts feels good. In an event like this, you’re giving gifts en masse to everybody in the room, uniting you all in a circle of goodwill and generosity. And that feeling was palpable in the air. In capitalism, you exchange commodities. But in giving a gift, you create a relationship…which can make us far happier. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, and loved seeing my thoughts realized into words while reading Braiding Sweetgrass, in it’s chapter on indigenous gift economies. But even more, I loved seeing my thoughts realized into reality.
If you’re near Boston, look for the next one! I’ll definitely be making it an annual tradition. If you’re not near Boston, consider starting the tradition yourself! Feel free to reach out to me…I can help you with some more in-depth advice, and lessons I’ve learned. Countless thanks to Extinction Rebellion Boston and the Calvary United Methodist Church of Arlington for helping me organize the event. Until next year, good luck in consuming less, and cultivating more.
Thousand Year Picnic 