the things i have had to share have come and gone, as has the need to share others things.
land, accomodation, transport, skills, food, money, clothes; all of those both ways =good
when i have it others can always use my roof and sofa, this is an increasingly important commodity, when moving around my generation doesnt have the financial security or inclination to save a deposit and rent and work out if an area can provide, or travelling to gigs and appointments, sofa surfing is an invaluable commodity.
i have an allotment, and therefore share the bumper crops. i also share the space so anyone is welcome to come and help, learn about agriculture and grow their own produce. this is a good thing to share as the space becomes communal, sharing labour, space, food and ideas.
ideas are always free. and technical skills should be shared. i would willingly help anyone learn anything i know for free. being competent but not qualified means that it would be hard to put a price on many skills, and this situation arises by learning these skills for free in the first place.
things i need to share;
transport, it can be quite hard to work up the confidence to hitch hike, websites that help people car share are genius. but mostly work around events like festivals. vehicle sharing is increasingly more important, and with prices going up, most people would probably appreciate the petrol money. not just from travelling from place to place, but increasingly for transporting materials. as an artist i find i need to move work around, as well as equiptment and produce from the allotment. i have a list of everyone i know with a van, and normally offer a generous amount for petrol but a lot less than hiring a van, its a good way if you have a van to help pay for it, to offer to help people move stuff. expecialy in regards to salvaging from skips, dumps and deralict areas.
sofa surfing websites are good, but i prefer to know a person because i feel vulnerable but the offer of a sofa to stay on means a lot more than just £40 saved from a b&b, its a great way to feel included and also you can offer the same thing back. normally if i stay in someones i will clean up their house a bit by way of sharing chores.
an online list of people with vans who may need some money, and a status on social network sites that shows your happy to sofa surf would be cool things.