When I grew-up we had the ‘Ice-Cream Social’. My grandfather made old fashioned vanilla ice-cream and my mother baked blueberry pies. This was our chance to eat the best pie and ice-cream our neighbours had to offer. Although there was never an official, ‘blue ribbon’ pie, everyone knew to come early, in order to have a chance to consume that pie you had been dreaming about all year.
Consumption is a changing concept. In medical terms it pertains to an infectious disease cased by the bacteria MTB or Tuberculosis. According to Wikipedia, consumption becomes dangerous or ‘active’ approximately 10% of the time. Consumption is also something the majority of the world is deeply embedded in. Our social, economic and political systems burn or grind depending on the levels of economical consumption. Many scholars agree that economical consumption is, like the medical reference, dangerous – some of the time. Depending on your ideology, you might define too much consumption as being ‘dangerously active’ 10%, 20% or even 80% of the time.
Sustainable consumption is moderate consumption. One example of moderate consumption is second hand shopping. Donating, purchasing and supporting second hand shopping is fun, and it contributes to a sustainable level of consumption. The money collected from second hand shops often gets circulated back into our communities. Take for example, the Red Cross, Good Will or even our very local Vejby Loppis. The concept of moderate consumption is a popular concept and is being endorsed by large companies. In Sweden, garbage management companies, are making so much money off our waste that they are attempting to change our behaviour by encouraging, not only sorting of plastics, food waste, cardboard, glass and metal from the ‘rest’ of the garbage, but campaign longer lasting products and buying building supplies (like kitchen cabinets, doors, windows) through second hand outlets.
I want to share my youthful sweet precious memories with my children and at the same time I want to teach them about sustainable living. Many things from my youth have changed and I have moved to the other side of the pond. Yet, wherever we find ourselves, human nature will create spaces for a local ‘modern’ version of the ‘ice-cream social’. If you are in town this weekend, come to our little Vejbystrand and see how popular and fun second hand shopping can be.
Special ‘Second Hand Farmers market” at Vejby Loppis in Vejbystrand. Come early – 11:00 – to check-out your dream items. Action and selling begins at 12:00. Entry cost, 20 SEK and includes coffee and a sweet bit to dip in your coffee. Please park at the public school – Magnarps skolan and you are sure to find a great treasure to take home or just enjoy this community event.
Park at:
Magnarps skolan
Magnarps Byaväg 333
266 53 Vejbystrand
Thank you Vejby IF for your Facebook post, NSR for information on your campaign, and my friend Sanna for sharing her spring cleaning pictures.
If you are unfortunate to miss this event, be sure to book for calendar for another community event in nearby Vejbyslätt. Sommar Community Garage Sale on July 17th from 11:00 – 13:00. Search in maps for Vejbyslätts bygata – Once you are in Vejbyslätt, you can’t miss it!