Bright Ideas
I've been having Bright Ideas for a while - or, rather, occasional things that occur to me.
Sometimes the ideas are a bit unexpected.
Like thinking (for nearly 20 years) that all gyms should link their treadmills, static bikes and other equipment to a giant dynamo, so members generate at least some of their own electricity. [UPDATE from original 2013 text: this is now A Thing, as they say. Which I think I knew in 2015 when the article came out, but forgot to update until 2018, when I found this Bright Idea was also Another Thing.]
Or wondering if people whose sudden deterioration in health requires the quick, relatively cheap and easy installation of a space-saving downstairs WC should give serious consideration to fitting a waterless, odourless, indoor, composting toilet (you'd be amazed what's available these days - although, if you do a Google search, make sure you are looking at indoor versions. Or, buy yourself a copy of Permaculture magazine and have a good look through the adverts). [UPDATE: in 2018, this is not yet A Thing, as far as I can see. So go forth, and develop this Bright Idea soon!]
Or if we couldn't reintroduce (and update!) the idea of At Home - common in Victorian times in the UK, this involved mostly middle class ladies giving out a card (a bit like a business card) to their acquaintances letting them know they could call in to visit (and perhaps 'take tea'!) on certain afternoons on particular days of the week or month.
We could update this by thinking of it as a kind of Lounge Share (or Living Room Swap), whereby people living near each other - of any age - who find they are at home a lot in the daytime could be invited to spend a bit of time in each other's homes on a regular basis.
Why might this be good? Well, in the winter months - for example - it would mean those visiting could turn off their heating for a few hours because they were instead at their At Home/Lounge Share host's home.
So, if you invited a few people round to yours every now and then, it might save some money on heating bills and in turn help the environment. Visitors and hosts would also have a bit of company - and there might be all sorts of other benefits, too. This could be good for some older people, and a whole host of others, such as: people working from home; people who are out of work; people studying; people with young children. Etc.
Essentially - this idea might be of interest and value to anyone who is at home anyway, and who would be very pleased to have others 'hang out' (is there a better phrase?) with them for a few hours from time to time.
As a host, you wouldn't necessarily have to 'entertain' everyone - unless you wanted to - but you might have a few things out for people to do if they wanted (I defy anyone to walk past a table with an unfinished jigsaw puzzle on it and not try to put at least one piece in place), or you might put a DVD on (I have a good selection of Hitchcock, and Powell/Pressburger, films, for example), or you might have juggling balls to try out (in the garden?), or you might suggest people bring something with them they want to do or want to share (appropriate things, of course!).
It's not day care - but it has some similarities with Shared Lives day support. It's not Sunday tea with Contact the Elderly - but it has some similarities with home-based, pop-up tea shops or supper clubs. It's not a one-off communal meal for the neighbourhood - but it has some similarities with the Big Lunch.
It's just An Idea - but it's A Free Idea! (You're welcome!)
All the normal 'rules' of your life would apply - such as, don't invite anyone into your home if you're not sure about them or don't know who they are. Tell people if they can smoke indoors or not. Ask them to take off their shoes if that's what you usually do (and, in which case, invite them to bring their slippers with them). Be clear what time the visit starts, and ends. If you're on a low income and you're going to do this regularly, you might set up some kind of tea and coffee 'kitty' so you're not having to pay out all the costs, or ask people to bring something with them to contribute - like some milk. Or a loo roll.
Be sensible, be clear, be innovative, be generous - and be safe!
And a really good way to start this up, if you would like to do this but lack a bit of confidence? Find a charity you want to support - whether local or national - and invite people round for a coffee morning or an afternoon cup of tea (you get the general idea) to raise a bit of money for that charity. Many charities have a specific coffee morning fundraiser - so you could always join in with that. Or, you could just decide to have your own event, and not wait until the charity day comes round.
Pop a simple written invitation through the doors of neighbours and others living nearby, or - better - knock on the door and speak to them face-to-face. Ask them to let you know if they're coming (for the purposes of counting out the right number of biscuits, or cutting the cake appropriately!) - and take it from there.
When people call in for the first charity event, you could say you had wondered about doing this sort of get together a bit more frequently (perhaps minus the charity angle - or not!) - maybe once a month - and just see how it goes.
You might have to do it for a while until people relax into the idea. Or you might find only one person wants to do it - that would be fine. Or, you could widen the invitation 'network'.
Now, for the people who say "this won't work" - feel free to come up with something that will. Please - seriously. We all need more Bright Ideas.
(There have been other Ideas in the past, by the way. Just so you know.)
I suspect there may be some more Bright Ideas in the future .....
Sometimes the ideas are a bit unexpected.
Like thinking (for nearly 20 years) that all gyms should link their treadmills, static bikes and other equipment to a giant dynamo, so members generate at least some of their own electricity. [UPDATE from original 2013 text: this is now A Thing, as they say. Which I think I knew in 2015 when the article came out, but forgot to update until 2018, when I found this Bright Idea was also Another Thing.]
Or wondering if people whose sudden deterioration in health requires the quick, relatively cheap and easy installation of a space-saving downstairs WC should give serious consideration to fitting a waterless, odourless, indoor, composting toilet (you'd be amazed what's available these days - although, if you do a Google search, make sure you are looking at indoor versions. Or, buy yourself a copy of Permaculture magazine and have a good look through the adverts). [UPDATE: in 2018, this is not yet A Thing, as far as I can see. So go forth, and develop this Bright Idea soon!]
Or if we couldn't reintroduce (and update!) the idea of At Home - common in Victorian times in the UK, this involved mostly middle class ladies giving out a card (a bit like a business card) to their acquaintances letting them know they could call in to visit (and perhaps 'take tea'!) on certain afternoons on particular days of the week or month.
We could update this by thinking of it as a kind of Lounge Share (or Living Room Swap), whereby people living near each other - of any age - who find they are at home a lot in the daytime could be invited to spend a bit of time in each other's homes on a regular basis.
Why might this be good? Well, in the winter months - for example - it would mean those visiting could turn off their heating for a few hours because they were instead at their At Home/Lounge Share host's home.
So, if you invited a few people round to yours every now and then, it might save some money on heating bills and in turn help the environment. Visitors and hosts would also have a bit of company - and there might be all sorts of other benefits, too. This could be good for some older people, and a whole host of others, such as: people working from home; people who are out of work; people studying; people with young children. Etc.
Essentially - this idea might be of interest and value to anyone who is at home anyway, and who would be very pleased to have others 'hang out' (is there a better phrase?) with them for a few hours from time to time.
As a host, you wouldn't necessarily have to 'entertain' everyone - unless you wanted to - but you might have a few things out for people to do if they wanted (I defy anyone to walk past a table with an unfinished jigsaw puzzle on it and not try to put at least one piece in place), or you might put a DVD on (I have a good selection of Hitchcock, and Powell/Pressburger, films, for example), or you might have juggling balls to try out (in the garden?), or you might suggest people bring something with them they want to do or want to share (appropriate things, of course!).
It's not day care - but it has some similarities with Shared Lives day support. It's not Sunday tea with Contact the Elderly - but it has some similarities with home-based, pop-up tea shops or supper clubs. It's not a one-off communal meal for the neighbourhood - but it has some similarities with the Big Lunch.
It's just An Idea - but it's A Free Idea! (You're welcome!)
All the normal 'rules' of your life would apply - such as, don't invite anyone into your home if you're not sure about them or don't know who they are. Tell people if they can smoke indoors or not. Ask them to take off their shoes if that's what you usually do (and, in which case, invite them to bring their slippers with them). Be clear what time the visit starts, and ends. If you're on a low income and you're going to do this regularly, you might set up some kind of tea and coffee 'kitty' so you're not having to pay out all the costs, or ask people to bring something with them to contribute - like some milk. Or a loo roll.
Be sensible, be clear, be innovative, be generous - and be safe!
And a really good way to start this up, if you would like to do this but lack a bit of confidence? Find a charity you want to support - whether local or national - and invite people round for a coffee morning or an afternoon cup of tea (you get the general idea) to raise a bit of money for that charity. Many charities have a specific coffee morning fundraiser - so you could always join in with that. Or, you could just decide to have your own event, and not wait until the charity day comes round.
Pop a simple written invitation through the doors of neighbours and others living nearby, or - better - knock on the door and speak to them face-to-face. Ask them to let you know if they're coming (for the purposes of counting out the right number of biscuits, or cutting the cake appropriately!) - and take it from there.
When people call in for the first charity event, you could say you had wondered about doing this sort of get together a bit more frequently (perhaps minus the charity angle - or not!) - maybe once a month - and just see how it goes.
You might have to do it for a while until people relax into the idea. Or you might find only one person wants to do it - that would be fine. Or, you could widen the invitation 'network'.
Now, for the people who say "this won't work" - feel free to come up with something that will. Please - seriously. We all need more Bright Ideas.
(There have been other Ideas in the past, by the way. Just so you know.)
I suspect there may be some more Bright Ideas in the future .....