I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful fall days we have been having. Every part of our country has amazing displays for us. Some are a bit more lively and colorful while others are more magnificent. I was spending some time with my daughter as she was bouncing all over taking pictures for different projects and so on. Those types of moments usually bring up past good times or funny events together and so on. She began asking why we didn't do X any longer and I had to remind her that yes, being in a wheelchair is easier than walking with legbraces and walkers, but there still are places you just can't go and you don't push it. No one wants to make a giant commotion trying to get into places that they didn't really need to. However as these type of conversations go, she then moved the conversation to what I thought things were going to be like after this recession.

She and I have been debating different actions for various reuslts just a few days ago and so she must of thought of something to add because she moved the conversion back around to what we had been noticing in our neighborhood; a lot of small businesses were going out of business and empty store fronts and shops tend to look cheap when boarded up. Whenever we drive anywhere anymore, here in Denver, we now see two to three times the number of people holding signs asking for some sort of help. If we allowed ourselves to dwell on the subject for too long, it could get scary, real scary.

So we closed our conversation with some plans to do this and that in our neighborhood. However, the point of this post was just to remind each of you to somehow, in someway to continue supporting your local businesses and family run stores. The big companies can weather most storms, but us little guys must 'pack it in' when things get to lean.

Each of us must do whatever we can to keep the small businesses runing. Why? Because we all know that things will turn around soon. If we enjoy all the little shops and restaurants in our neighborhood, we must help keep them in bussiness so that they will be there when things return to normal. Some neighborhoods took years to finally get those wonderful family run restaurants that perfume the evening air with today's special! Unfortunately, when they go out of business they take a long time, again, before they return.

Small businesses, family operated grocery stores and shops, the corner bar and grill and theme type of restaurants and pizzerias, as well as our neighborhood Churches all need us to help keep them running during these slow times so that they will be there to enjoy when good times returns.

Talk with your neighbors and see why you all can't pitch in a smaller amount than what you would spend for your whole family, but because of several neighborhood families doing the same, it would be enough to have a special neighborhood night out and this will help support the local family business. Instead of supporting the large all in one mega-grocery stores, leave some money for the local stores. If you don't want to talk the extra time, send the kids. No it won't be enough if only you and I do these things, however, we as a neighborhood can and will make the difference and will be there to enjoy the fruits of our work when good times return. Doing a few of these simple things could actually speed up the time needed for good times to return locally!

There are tons of stories that all talk about how neighborhoods worked together to keep local businesses running during the great depression and other hard times. The common theme is neighborhood support keeps their heads above water enough to help them stay in your neighborhood!

While the weather is still good, maybe you and some other neighbors could set up a meeting to have a small neighborhood street party with local businesses providing all the food and drink. Have the neighborhood teenage girls set-up face painting booths, have a neighborhood garage sale/auction, and then end the evening with everyone, all the adults and kids, doing some sort of funny act or entertainment! Talk about a inexpensive fun time! Four to six neighbor could afford and pull off this type of street party. Then at this street party, don't forget to send a couple of folks to go door to door and invite, freee of charge, everyone in the neighborhood to come down to the street party. Once there and once familar with their neighbors, talk about and see if they would consider chipping in for the 'neighborhood night out' at the local restaurant! You folks know how to do these things, you don't need some dopey guy in Denver telling you how! Just get supportive and claim ownership of your neighborhood and somehow, in someway make it work and keep local businesses in business until good times returns.

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Roy Twogood Jr is Managing Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company & OLINeBooks, Denver Colorado- http://olin.tk . We would love to read about your successful parties and/or local nights out. Drop us a note and I will post them here! Have fun, God bless!

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