The story drew three main conclusions: First, most local shoppers seem unaware of a new Tooele County Chamber of Commerce campaign to urge people to shop locally. Second, most shoppers nonetheless understand that spending their money locally strengthens area businesses, provides for local government services, helps bolster the local economy generally, and creates and protects jobs close to home. Third, despite appreciating the value of shopping locally, many residents feel they have to drive into Salt Lake City for some goods and services they can’t find in the Tooele Valley.
It’s clear that, to some extent, the third point is undermining the good intentions of the first two points. But it shouldn’t be. Not if residents and officials replace the idea of “shop local” with the broader philosophy of “live local.”
Yes, Salt Lake City offers a much greater variety of goods and services than the Tooele Valley does. And, expanding that thought, the Internet offers infinitely greater shopping variety than Salt Lake City does. But the central idea of living local is to forgo all those options in favor of adapting your lifestyle to what’s available in the place you’ve chosen to live. This can mean looking for work close to home rather than commuting, eating a dinner comprised of regionally grown foods rather than buying foods imported from elsewhere, or using whatever materials are available at the local craft store rather visiting several Salt Lake stores hunting down a specific item.
Local shoppers are too savvy to be sold on the idea that you can buy almost everything in Tooele that you can buy in Salt Lake. And really, that’s not a point that needs arguing. Instead, what people should be considering is that by accepting what’s available locally and patronizing local businesses, you can improve your own quality of life.
The big idea behind living local is this: We waste too much time and money chasing around after distant options. In doing so, we detract from our quality of life, our human relationships, our health and our economic well being. We also hurt our community by again and again putting our quest for that one special item — be it a piece of furniture or a dinner out — ahead of our desire to support local businesses and keep local jobs. Worst of all, we lose our sense of contentment with the people, places and things closest to us.
“Shop local” is a good idea, but “live local” is a better one. If residents can be convinced to embrace that philosophy, all of us will benefit.
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