EoR No. 11: DIY socialism in conservative communities
Plus, readers’ annoyance with cost-cutting advice, the impact of the economic blackout, supporting Black-owned alternatives and more.
Top of mind
As I write this, I’m glaring out at the remains of a late-winter snowstorm. So I’ll take the opportunity to share my little community-action success story from my winter in rural Wisconsin. This is for anyone who’s stuck in a conservative area and pulling your hair out every time you hear someone on the left call for building community with the slimeballs around you.
Very few people this town shovel their sidewalks, even though it’s required of property owners under a village ordinance. Last winter, I made an enemy of a church on our block when I asked them to shovel after a couple of major snowfalls; the property abuts sidewalks on three sides and makes up about half of our block. We have to walk in the streets. Some elder was not happy about my request and actually yelled at me about how I “don’t know how things work in this town,” like a villain in a 90s tween movie.
This winter, I’ve taken a different tack. I don’t talk to anyone at the church. I shovel the entire block of sidewalk that’s in front of my house — covering my house, two neighbors and the church. And I call the village to take care of the sidewalks on the other two sides of the church. According to the ordinance, they’re supposed to bill the property owner for this service, but I’m sure they don’t bill the church. I don’t care. The sidewalks are cleared. It’s better for everyone — even the lady across the street with the Trump sign still in her yard, who walks down that sidewalk to get to that church every Sunday.
Sidewalks are a vital public good that tell a story about a community. In this town, an unsafe sidewalk says people like me are unwelcome. As is any person who uses a wheelchair or a mobility aid, any parent pushing a stroller, any kid walking to school, anyone without a yard for their dogs to run in, anyone without a car to get around. There’s not a lot I can do to move the needle in a town filled with people who don’t value socialized care. But I can make sure a few sidewalks are clear.
If you’re stuck in a similar locale and wondering how to participate in resistance, a reminder: We don’t have to make friends to be in community. We don’t have to convince anyone to be a better person. We can just do the work to create the world we want to live in.
News and upcoming events:
I’m setting up a webinar for April with a partner on estate planning. Sign-up link to come soon! In the meantime, what questions do you have about wills, trusts, legacy planning, etc.? Reply to this email to share them, and we’ll address them in the presentation!
🥑 ICYMI at Healthy Rich this week
'There are worse things than being ambitious, right?’ — a Q&A with
’s Lindsey Stanberry
🔗 Things to catch
Shocker: Cost-cutting advice annoys readers more than it helps them.
My latest for Business Insider: Why rent reporting is important for credit scores.
Love this reflection from personal stylist Dacy Gillespie on her relationship to spending money on clothes.
Did the Feb. 28 economic blackout “work”? Rough data shows mixed results; not enough stories point out that 24 hours doesn’t offer a useful measure of consumer power.
If you’re going to continue boycotting big retailers, do it like a Black woman.
💬 Let’s discuss
What tiny problem are you obsessed with in your neighborhood?
Is there an intersection that needs a stop sign, a lack of public green space, a need for accessible food sharing or book exchange, a craggy sidewalk the municipality won’t address? What little thing do you see every day that makes you think someone needs to do something about this? Feel free to use this space to just vent — very necessary! — or think about your next steps: What skills or resources do you possess to deal with it? (Maybe you go full Ron Swanson on a pothole, distribute literature or take a few friends to a city council meeting?)
People in my neighborhood are generally great about shoveling but often miss the ends of sidewalks - the critical (if you have wheels or unsteady legs) ramps into the crosswalk. Sometimes even when people do get those ends the plough comes through and barricades them and then they don’t get cleared again. I’m on a corner and years of stroller pushing have made me scrupulous about getting my ramp. I have older neighbors and one of the dearest things I ever saw was one of them going out with a shovel to clear ends of sidewalks on their route first so his wife post knee surgery could safely walk their dog. But also, it is crazy how people will zealously be out with their snowblower and just stop at the end without doing the ramp off as if nobody goes further than back and forth on their own block
Doing these good deeds often changes the behavior of other people and they join in. It might take a while.