Support local small business. Hmm…cold, with zero emotional attachment, and unlikely to evoke any positive movement toward that goal. How about, “Champion your local dreamers.” Most people who start a business for themselves have a dream; one that’s in their heart and soul. They have a vision to create and provide something that the community needs or wants; a community they love and belong to. They spend precious time, energy and money planting seeds, fertilizing, watering, and then hoping and praying for growth and beauty.
I believe that no matter how much we invest in a dream, we can’t sustain it without a champion or two, or 100. As an author/dreamer, I can pour my heart into a beautiful story, cover it with amazing art and go through the steps to put it out there for the world. Without a champion to read it and share their thoughts with others, however, that beautiful story will just be words on pieces of paper.
I’m writing this post after a conversation with a local bookstore owner. Star Line Books in Chattanooga is in a great location downtown. Star is such a hard worker, but what stands out in my mind about her is that she has a heart of gold and a dream of providing something wonderful for her community. You see, she’s the champion of every local author/dreamer who approaches her. So in my effort to be a tiny champion of HER dream, I’m writing, because it makes me smile to believe that I’m doing something for someone else.
If you’ve gotten this far in the post, I hope that my words have encouraged you to be the champion of some local dreamer. It doesn’t have to cost you money. Tell people about them, give them advice, words of encouragement. Community means more than buildings on some beautiful street. Real community involves fellowship, kind words… champions.