In a previous career I travelled the continental United States. When I arrived in a new city I made sure to experience the local fare to give me a feel for the town. Travelling solo can be lonely and finding the Mom & Pop places, talking with the proprietors and customers, gave me a sense of being part of a community, relieving the loneliness and creating a sense of home when far from my own.
On a flight home from San Francisco a pivotal moment occurred. We started our descent into O’Hare with the grid of the Chicago lights welcoming us home. As I was expressing my feelings from seeing this sight with my aisle mate he said it. He said how wonderful it must be to live in an area with so much to experience! The guilt welled up so quickly in me I'm sure it showed on my face immediately. I could tell people where to go for a down home meal in Nashville, the best store for fabric in San Fran's Chinatown, a great locals' sports bar in LA, but I could not tell someone what it was like to be in the observation deck of the Sears Tower or the best sandwich place in Little Italy.
I have taken for granted my own backyard! It was at that moment on that flight I made it my personal mission to experience my home. My quest to "Be Local" is not an agenda driven attempt to become healthy or to save the earth. It’s to support those Mom & Pops that are off the beaten path, that do not answer to shareholders, that survive and thrive on knowing their regulars and making new customers feel like family.
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