On my 26-mile commute home this afternoon, I was bombarded with news reports about my favorite subject: gasoline. On the local level, supporters (yes, supporters) of Governor O'Malley's gas tax (an additional 10 cents per gallon) rallied in Annapolis today.
The very next story on the news was about the likelihood of gas prices rising to $4 per gallon by mid-April. Make that $4.10 per gallon, if the governor's supporters get their way.
The good news, though, is that those of us living close to Towson's town center (and I am not referring exclusively to the mall) have everything available to us within a 3-mile radius.
Cafes, bookstores, banks, clothing stores, computer repair services, framing galleries -- you name it, Towson has it. How do I know? The Towson Chamber of Commerce has an incredible online guide to everything Towson.
Everything we need to avoid spending these crazy gas prices is right here, just down the street (Allegheny, Chesapeake and Baltimore avenues just to mention a few).
The only thing that needs to change is, well, us.
Here's the challenge.
Step One. Take a look through the chamber's guide and find the businesses that fill your needs and whimsical desires.
Step Two. Spend a few hours this weekend walking through Towson, stopping in the shops, and even taking the time to say hello to the owners. Get to know the people that make Towson more than just a college town.
Step Three. Make that change, that shift in thinking. Find the places in Towson that can replace those businesses you used to patronize that might be a gallon of gas (or more) away. Just because we can drive anywhere for a cup of coffee or a custom framing for a work of art, it doesn't mean we need to.
In fact, we don't. We can do all of that -- and more -- right here in our own backyard.
