Fayetteville is awesome. I love it here. We are in the middle of a public health and economic crisis, and this community is amazing.  There are lots of people sewing masks and distributing them throughout the community. The Massage Therapists of Arkansas Facebook group has been grappling with the weight of the governor’s decision to reopen salons. The What’s Wrong Fayetteville Facebook group always keeps us entertained with snarky, opinionated snippets of life in the ‘Ville. The Northwest Arkansas singles groups joke and scheme incessantly about how they can still take a booty call under the COVID social distancing recommendations. And every night at 8pm people from all over the city come out and howl to maintain connection in spite of the isolation.

And if Howling is not your thing there is another group Shotgun beers at 8pm that encourages the members to Shotgun a Beer at 8pm to connect during the COVID quarantines.  You just can’t make this stuff up.

“What’s Wrong Fayetteville” FB Group
Holy Stairs Batman!

People making masks (that I know of) are Rachael Wiest-Martin, Olive Loom, Little Wild Plum, Seamstress Socialism, 410 Vintage, and Krauft Masks. 

Olive Loom, Local Love in Every Stitch

The Massage Therapists of Arkansas Facebook group has been having heated debate about the governor’s decision to allow massage therapists to go back to work.  This is challenging for therapists because many of them are independent with no safety net and no income for an extended period of time.  The responses on the group range from ‘yippee, we get to go to work, gloves aren’t mandated, only a recommendation, so I’m not using them,’ to ‘I have so many questions. I’m concerned about the liability of this. I need more information.’ It has been a really heated debate at times and hard to remember that we are all trying to do the best when faced with a decision that is the lesser of two evils—starve, or spread an invisible, intangible virus. I love these people. It’s just a hard time all around.

The “What’s Wrong Fayetteville” Facebook group is the most irreverent group of weirdos you’ll ever love.  Their conversations range from disdain for the lack of social distancing on the trails, to random self-love posts from the entertaining Jay Phillips, half naked, discussing all aspects of his anatomy. They make relentless jabs at a dude–now forever called “push-up dude,” who had the audacity to do push-ups on the trail in broad daylight.  They have real life updates on real life news like kids getting hit by cars, a sudden rise in police activity in an area, increased gang activity, and back to public shaming for lack of respect to cyclists on the roads.  Also, they feature totally bashing of the influx of Texans at the University of Arkansas.  If you haven’t been to this page, and you have a thick skin, you should go. It will give you a distinct taste for some of the flavors of Fayetteville.

This is a Northwest Arkansas Singles group I discovered recently from a friend’s recommendation, “I’m Single in NWA, I don’t like bars or tinder and meeting people is hard.” It’s hard enough to find a match in the virtual dating world we live in now.  Many of the posts in the group explore, tongue in cheek, options for how to have sex without violating quarantine recommendations. Hilarity and irreverence are the norm. Throughout the group is active support whenever there is a need or a cry for help. Earlier this week there was a man who made an uncharacteristic, garbled post. Not long after, there were several cars out searching for him in the area he posted that he had been.  Members of the group tracked down his mom and followed up with her. Good to know that these folks will track you down if you are in trouble.

There is also a Single Women of NWA group that got started recently because of a lying man who was sleeping with 7 women while telling each of them that he was not sleeping with other women. This group is a safe place for local women to support and lift up other women with their NWA dating experiences and cautionary tales.  It also features women friendly, reliable referrals for services like handy men, electricians, plumbers, roofers, painters, and other services.

We look out for each other in this Fayetteville community.

People have brought me broth, masks, pampered chef items, a sink, a faucet.

I know of a guy delivering meals, hand sanitizer (a hot item in these times), and CBD products.  Many are offering to deliver whatever, whenever—just say the word.

Another friend, Adam Cox, has started a service called Uplift Auto, providing mechanic services to people in need.

Sit & Spin

And I have yet another friend who owns a laundromat called Sit & Spin.  She was giving free washes to people in need.  Not sure if they are still doing that, but it was a beautiful gesture. (No, she wasn’t washing humans silly!  Laundry.)

Do you know people in our neighborhood doing good stuff in the ‘Ville?’ Would love to hear what you got that’s awesome.