Blog Post

Gettin Dignified!

Posted 07 Jan, 2013 by adminin Thinking Out Loud1

Within this culture, I hear people talking about dying with dignity. I seldom hear people passionately talk about living with dignity. Boxcar grew out of the realization that living with dignity is about more than an attitude, it is a way of being in the world and it is very important.

Living with dignity is what every individual deserves the right to do, and by extension, what every neighborhood should have the opportunity to do. Within a dignified neighborhood there is healthy food, there are centers dedicated to spiritual growth and support, there are positive teachers, productive schools (you can have one without the other you know), there is a sense of family, of connectedness regardless of socioeconomic position. Neighbors look out for each other. Businesses contribute to the economic vitality of the pace. People thrive.

Being dignified means being fully alive.

We bring this up because you may notice that we call our new indoor farmer’s market the Castleberry Hill Farmer’s Market. We claim the title of hosts because this farmer’s market is about the entire community. About making sure farmers and local producers have a place to sell their produce during the winter months when the outdoor markets fall off. About making sure that, especially during flu season, people are able to stave off illness by having access to the freshest, most nutrient dense foods that have traveled less than two miles to get here.

Boxcar was never about a single store. It is about change. It is about expansion. It is about planting seeds in the world that will grow into healthy prosperity and enrich the entire nation. We are creating community one recyclable grocery bag at a time.

People wonder how we’ve gotten so much traction in the one year since we’ve opened our doors. Us. Two urbanites who knew nothing about food before we started this. It’s because our business plan never stopped at the threshold to our business. Our business plan incorporated building community. It’s why Alphonzo spends so much time cultivating the Merchants Associated Team of Castleberry Hill (MATCH). It’s why we invite partnerships with new businesses like OmPoint Yoga who will be giving yoga classes in our rear studio starting tonight at 6pm.

It is why we ride our bikes when we can and visit our neighbors.

It is why we are here.

Commit to living with dignity. Be alive. Pay attention to your community. And, as always, eat local and eat well.