Swap a little, live a lot
When I saw this clip in Jezebel, it made me feel I found an answer to what I was saying yesterday. I kept on thinking about whether something like that could have happened in Spain, and I guess the trick is to think that it couldn’t, the same as thinking it couldn’t happen to oneself. Nonetheless, family ties are, generally speaking, stronger (or merely more present) in mediterranean culture and consumerism hasn’t advanced as much yet (even though that means that complimentary infrastructures of reuse and recycling are not as well stablished in Spain. I really miss charity shops!). If the video is right, this see-saw between consumption and social empathy might be an important clue.
So today of all days I thought it would be brilliant to point your attention to another great alternative initiative: the Swap-o-matic.
The Swap-o-matic is nothing more but nothing less than a form of “vending machine” that swaps rather than sells (there is a whole system to support fair-playing, available here).
Remember the piano staircases that promoted physical activity? This works on a similar appeal, it’s playful and different. I love how a lot of what is happening right now avoids dwelling on the gloom and jumps right into the festive. Merry Christmas!
