Supporting local business means helping community

We live in a world where virtually anything we need or want is simply a click away from our front door, and at a price that can’t be beat. The Internet has revolutionized the way we shop, communicate, and function as human beings. Unfortunately, the human element has gone by the wayside in so many of our daily transactions and one day we may all sit at our computer screens talking, buying, selling, producing and creating without the need to actually shake the hand of another person or smile and say thank you. In all the splendor of the World Wide Web, we are losing our humanity and our sense of community.

I grew up in Whitefish, Montana starting in 1965 ... a small town in the middle of the woods that nobody cared about except for the local residents. The outside world only recognized Whitefish for the lumber being produced and as a stopping point for the railroad. On any given day as a teenager, I would recognize (by name) seven out of every 10 people that I passed on Central Avenue. It was an incredibly close knit community that was very interdependent on each other for goods, services, and support. The dynamic of this small town and of those across the nation is changing over the years, though I do still recognize many faces on the street and I do still try to support local businesses when I can. These are MY people. This is MY community. They do add VALUE to my life!

Bruce Carpenter, Columbia Falls