Quote:
Originally Posted by CanisLupusArctos
There is plenty that individuals (and area restaurant owners) can do to cheer up. First and foremost, we can stand by the lakeshore on a calm night, look up at the stars, and listen to the loons!
The next couple paragraphs may appear to get off-topic (another local restaurant falls victim) but they're not. They're my illustration of a mentality that, once adopted by a restaurant owner (or anyone else) could spark ideas for us as individuals and individual businesses, to slow down this business decline in the lakes region.
The best thing we can all do is adjust our thinking to "survival is fun," and in many ways it really is. Most people who take part in the growing number of "extreme survival sports" do so because the automated world has become too tame for them. The human body is programmed to be capable of so much more, and we naturally crave situations where we test those features. That's probably why shows like "Survivor" and "Man vs. Wild" and "Ice Road Truckers" have gotten so popular. When I was a kid, my friends and I loved it when a big storm came along and put a huge dent in the modern lifestyle for a few days. My sister and I have fond memories of cooking on the wood stove after a heavy winter storm knocked out the power... and power outages at night were the only times we ever played candlelight board games as a family. We just have to go back to having the hearts and attitudes of children, and we'll probably be amazed at the solutions we start coming up with (and the fun we have!)
The only exception to the "child philosophy" is that I've had to change my food-purchase mentality to save money and it's proven to be a huge time-saver as well as keeping my weight within healthy limits (which I couldn't do easily when food was cheaper.) Rather than look for "What I want" like I did before, I instead think of what kind of fuel my body requires to stay energetic in the day, sleep at night, and not gain weight. Then I look for the cheapest, yet most healthy way to get those nutrients. Cheap food doesn't help you if it's not healthy because it's usually so full of empty calories that you eat more of it to feel satisfied, and if it causes health problems you'll have medical bills. It's not much different from preparing for a backpacking trip. I discovered things like peanut butter and banana sandwiches aren't expensive, but they have all kinds of nutrients that sustain energy for hours. The best part is, they only take 5 minutes to make and eat, which means I can have a quick lunch without skimping on nutrients, and get right back to work without losing my train of thought.
Once again, it's not my intention for this to seem off-topic, because it isn't when you think about it. "Another restaurant auction" is a statement we haven't heard around here for a while, and it is cause for concern since it's happening all across this country. I offered the above as an example of "adjusting our thinking to help us in the lakes region stay afloat." The news is gradually filling up with stories of how individuals are getting creative and having a good time doing it. This morning they interviewed some guy from the Midwest who now rides his horse to school because its apparently cheaper to keep his horse fed than it is for him to gas up his pickup truck. I just laughed. I almost wished I could go back to school so that I could ride a horse to school, too! Many New England colleges do have stables...
My hope is that somewhere in this mentality I've described, you (the reader) might start smiling, finding some fun in all this, and when you're having fun you might think of your own creative idea for saving a favorite local restaurant, your home, or whatever. If you get creative enough and look like you're having too much fun, you might end up getting interviewed on the Today Show while wearing a Winnipesaukee.com t-shirt!
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I laud your optimism and it seems like it is a worthwhile outlook for bad times. When times change people opt for more cost effective alternatives. The lake is an amazing resource; however, unless it is your full time home the economic impacts are more profound. It takes gas to drive here etc...
This all being said, there are always those that are financially well off and will not be impacted by the economic shift. However, that is likely not enough to maintain all of the local businesses. I would say that the stronger restaurants will continue to survive and others will not. I guess that this is just economic Darwinism.
I find out political leader guilty of neglect rather than malevolence. We have money for wars and international aid, however, domestic initiatives are scarce. In addition, our investment community (VCs) are enamored with India and China. You do not get a Microsoft without investment.
Oh well, enough for one day. Since I am in Seattle today, maybe it will have to be a fish sandwich.
Jetskier