The Resurgence of Barter....

Good ole Wikipedia defines Barter Trade as "a method of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods and services without using our current prevalent medium of exchange, money." Traditionally, Barter was utilized to replace currency in times of money instability.
While I do not profess to be an economist, one would have to be blind to not take notice, if only on a rudimentary level, how frail the world economic system is. It is currently ebbing and flowing with jumps in the Dow both up and down and national unemployment numbers hovering at stubborn levels above 9 percent! In summary, I would say that we are definitely in very "shaky" times in general.
I started thinking about Barter after a brief conversation with one of my neighbors the other day when walking my dog. I feel blessed to live in more of a community, rather than a neighborhood. My neighbor brought up the idea of Barter trading, specifically in relation to her direct neighbor. Her close neighbor, who is also a friend of mine, is currently unemployed, as am I, and Mary, whom I was talking with, said she would love to have Ann (her neighbor and my friend) over a few nights a week, simply for company, in return, Mary would cook homecooked meals for her as she is a great cook. When I returned home after our conversation, I started thinking a lot about this concept. I really think we could make a "mini" model of sorts within our neighborhood, after all, we all get along really well, almost all of us, and I think many would be receptive to this idea. Our annual block party this year has morphed into a monthly potluck at different houses in the neighborhood. The host provides the main meal and everyone choosing to partake brings something as well. We have had two thus far and they seem to be a hit. Based upon the success of these community dinners per se, I really believe that the Barter Trade concept can take root. After all, we have a lawyer, a teacher, a hairstylist, photographer, spiritual healer, several great cooks, etc. all in one neighborhood. Another common thread is on the scale of finances...many of us are underemployed, unemployed, or stay at home moms, all needing to watch the flow of money within our households. I also envision Barter Trade as not only a great money saving tool, but, a phenomenol tool with which to build face-to-face relationships in a world dominated by electronics. While we all love our electronic gadgets, I believe that on a primal level, humans are very deficient in human touch, communication, everything involving actual person to person interactions and are looking for ways to develop this in their daily lives. I feel it is along the same vein as the grow local food movement...the impetus being that of knowing who grows and processes the food we eat. In parting, take a look around you, how can you contribute or expand upon this concept in your "own" world?