Dinner for drywall

I’m friends with a younger couple who are building a house. They decided to build it as money became available rather than going into debt. They recently hired a friend to install some cedar siding. He offered to install drywall too, but not for money. Instead, he wants three home cooked dinners. Seemed like a deal to my friends.

I love it that more people are working deals for things other than money. The more bartering and gifting we do, the better off we all are. Money is what strangers use to conduct business. In the non monetary economy, it’s all about relationships.

Currencies come and go. I’ve got a few assorted bills and coins from governments that no longer exist. The rectangles of paper and bits of metal are no longer mediums of exchange. For me, it’s a lesson on what’s important. In Zimbabwe, for a while many people were millionaires -in Zim dollars. Then they’d buy a loaf of bread and no longer be millionaires.

What would you rather have, money or relationships? When currencies are stable, many make the mistake of thinking that’s where value resided. However, even then, it was all about relationships. When your local money becomes worthless, it’s sure good to know that there are people who’ll care and look out for you. That’s true value.

-Sixbears