A while ago I joined a Facebook group called Buy Nothing. It is very local to specific communities (mine is Chadds Ford-Pennsbury Township), and people from outside those communities are urged not to join, but to join or form one local to them. The idea is that it should be easy for neighbors to share what they no longer need.
I am fascinated and pleased with the things that people give away. We have received several large bags of organic lawn fertilizer after its owner said she was too lazy to apply it. I also got an electric flower bed edger—maybe the owner hired a service instead of edging beds himself. One member gives away the kind of home décor you’d find in a high-end antique shop, week after week (S., we love you for your generosity).
Members regularly share kids’ sports equipment and simply outgrown clothing. I snagged a pair of nice never-worn Asics Gel 25 sports shoes, and I tried to guess why they were given away until I tried to slip into these shoes—not an easy task.
I give away lots of perennial plants, and I’ve met such wonderful people, some of whom have come and helped me dig out overgrown beds. And one plant lover presented me with a gorgeous hellebore (you know who you are, M.). I’ve given away a wonderful pale yellow easy chair when I’d acquired one comfortable chair too many. She was thrilled to have it.
I have a pair of cherry lamp tables I ought to have sold, but I didn’t get around to it. I have lamps to go with them. I’ll post soon. I have a great piece of art hanging at the bottom of my steps. Everything that used to go to Goodwill can now be put on Buy Nothing. Outgrown or unused bikes, scooters, hoverboards, ice skates—there’s always an endless flow of good stuff.
The group admin is currently suggesting we share items needed for Halloween costumes. Members also do “ISO’s,” items they are in search of. The main purpose of the group is to be neighborly while keeping “stuff” out of the landfill. So ideally, members should try to interact and get to know each other in the exchange. Sometimes items are simply left outside protected from weather with the person’s name on it, who picks it up at random. Today a member announces that she has a bumper crop of pears, and the pear picker is next to the tree; come and get ‘em.
It doesn’t always happen perfectly, but when it does, it is heartwarming. My best experience so far was when, for weeks, someone kept posting what he called an “exercise chair.” I ignored it because I don’t think of exercise as something I do on a chair. After weeks, my husband said, “Is that exercise chair still on Buy Nothing?” I checked, and there it was so I asked if we could relieve him of it. On Messenger, he gave me location information, and we set a time to pick it up. I texted him when we were on the way, and he called to talk me into his slightly remote location.
When we got there, I saw immediately that there was a fellow gardener—beautiful plantings everywhere. We drove around to the back part of a winding driveway, not finding the item. So, coming around to the front of the property, we saw him fairly bounding out of his house to greet us, which gave me an opportunity to enjoy more of his garden features as we shook hands and introduced ourselves. “C’mon in,” he said, as we followed him into his home. He shared with us the history of the house and its features, telling stories about furniture and pieces of art I noticed. He gave us a mini tour of the home, inside and out, and we had such a good time talking. Then he demonstrated the exercise chair and offered to carry it out for us. Before too long, we will meet to share a bottle of wine and some snacks and get a deeper tour of his garden.
What more could we ask for about neighborliness? It is so easy to stay insulated in our own little pods, but reaching out or being reached out to can change your day, your week, your life—and someone else’s, too. And my husband uses the exercise chair, with about 120 different exercises illustrated in the user’s manual, every day.
About E. Anne Pounds
E. Anne Pounds has been a Chadds Fordian with husband Bob, son Jay, and family on all sides since 1992. Partnering with Bob over four decades in several enterprises, most recently co-founding Welcome Neighbor in1999, connecting local businesses to new homeowners. Chesapeake sailors for most of their adult lives, Anne writes about people, food, fun, and occasionally thought-provoking insights she hopes will elicit comments, always with a goal of creating community and friendships.
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