In town there were only businesses that offered what people needed. No knick-knack shops. Real implements to serve real needs. There was a community co-op where food was gathered and sold. We each could work in the co-op a few or more hours per week and receive our stock for a discount. All food was sold in bulk and none of it was packaged in plastics or paper. We transported our beans, rice, flour, vegetables, cereals, nuts, etc. in reusable cloth bags, much as is starting to be done in the more progressive stores in today’s suburbs. It was a very friendly place.
On scheduled days, men would gather with saws, axes, and enthusiasm, to cut dead trees in the national forest and load them in pickup trucks. Some men would cut, others would drag the trees down the hill to the trucks, and the remainder of men would load. We always rotated positions each hour. Each man contributed equally and the firewood was delivered to each homestead with the same equal split. It was always hard work, but made fun by the collective spirit of the group.
Entertainment in the mountains was plentiful for the outdoor folks. There was no TV reception and only one country station on the radio. We did however have the community sauna. Each Sunday evening we would gather at the sauna shack and sit in the hot steam, talking about things that seemed so “full of importance.” In the old wood structure we would redress, mostly married couples behaving modestly, though naked, would then say goodnight and wish each other a good week ahead.
It all made sense then, and it all makes sense now. Common needs and common resources.
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