Everything Is Free at the Really Really Free Market
by Debra Novak N
o money. No barter. No trade. Everything is free at a re- ally really free market (RRFM). Melissa Plotkin was smitten with this concept when she visited her first RRFM in a San Francisco neighbor- hood three years ago. Enthused about the market’s greatest benefit—building a deeper sense of community and con- nection—Plotkin suggested the concept to other members of a core team that was organizing a large event in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. When she returned to Naples recently, Plotkin missed her community connections and decided it was time to introduce the RRFM to her fellow Neapolitans. Now, on the first Saturday of every month, at Fleischmann Park, Plotkin’s heart sings at the sight of individuals and families embracing something she holds dear: relationship building within a commu- nity of individuals to whom social class and financial means are irrelevant, at least from noon to 4 p.m.
“The market is like a potluck, in that you give away an object, food, service or form of entertainment that you take to it,” says Plotkin, who can barely contain her excitement for the market’s first anniversary in November. “I’m thrilled to see the support building every month,” she enthuses.
The free market is based on the te- nets that there is enough for everyone; sharing is more fulfilling than owning; scarcity is a myth constructed to keep us at the mercy of the economy; and no one should have to do without food, shelter or entertainment. At the Naples RRFM, nothing is for sale and the only rule of thumb is to share and share alike. Its decentralized approach means no one is in charge, not even Plotkin, who generally gives away her talent for hostessing and networking. “When I know the hearts, gifts and intentions of people, it’s easy for me to know who they need to connect with,” she explains.
Plotkin’s knack for introducing newcomers and regulars has its benefits. “The RRFM connected a woman who needed a roommate with another wom- an who needed a place to live,” she recalls. “Another person started practic-
ing yoga with a yoga teacher who came to give away his teaching skills.” Saturday’s free items might include everything from fruit trees to positive affirmations that brighten up someone’s day or freshly laid eggs and materi- als that artists repurpose. “Someone brought scrap material one month, and then the following month, I asked people to use colored markers to draw pictures that represented what com- munity looked like to them,” advises Plotkin. She gathered and tied the pieces together to create a huge banner that now hangs between two trees on market days. “We call it collaborative art,” quips Plotkin, who considers the market an open platform for different types of meet-up groups.
It’s also an opportunity to do some good beyond the day. For example, after the BP Gulf oil spill, the free mar- ket collaborated with Hooters, which donated pantyhose. Andrea’s Organic Hair Salon donated hair clippings, and a group of individuals made hair booms—enough to fill a truck bed— that were sent to New Orleans. RRFM also continuously focuses on collecting kitchen items that are given to Family to Family, a local organization that warehouses items for families in desperate need. “This past month, food and toiletry items went to a family whose home was destroyed by lightning,” advises Plotkin, who says the market gives everyone a chance to recognize the abundance of resources that exists when we come together in community.
Visit NaplesReallyReallyFree.wiki
spaces.com.
28 Collier/Lee Counties swfl
.naturalawakeningsmag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72