What Is Your Role In This

Seeing this article, I’ve been saying this forever and felt at times I’m talking to a brick wall. I even talk to our school children in classrooms when given the chance too. Travel Backroads online directory is just one way I have put actions to my words. I’ve made listing in my Directory so affordable and still I don’t think people “understand.” It’s about seeing the “big” picture here.

Part of the reason I started Travel Backroads is for this very reason. I have blogged about it on my website, I’ve even written articles on it for my job as an economic development director. It’s not just the backroads nor is my Directory just for the backroads. It’s for all those local businesses, stores, specialty foods, and more.

But hit a store like Herbergers and everyone feels it. Now the fight has become even bigger and we’re staring a giant in the face. Now it’s a race to save some of these stores that took business away from our small towns to begin with. We’re going to lose some favorite stores because were buying online, taxes aren’t being paid, dollars are going away. (hoping this changes with our state government to tax us when buying more online.)

Now I begin to wonder is what we’re doing FUTILE?? My starting a directory to help small communities on the highway‘s and byways or downtown cities because theyre independently small businesses, is it a waste of time?

I think I can picture what those early businesses in the 1900’s felt when our country was getting established. How they must have felt when the larger community took their business away and they had to close up shop.

What does the future hold? What do you envision? Use our stores just for items we run out of? We’re fighting to keep a certain lifestyle from being eradicated. What does the future hold for all sizes of communities? It’s coming folks, it’s here and it’s changing.

Have you thought about your role in this?

~~Joan
http://www.starherald.com/…/article_34acd457-d427-5461-b41c…