I don't know a thing about drugs firsthand since I have never tried anything illegal and I imagine I never will. People who I love and have loved have been consumed by the stuff and I, unfortunately, know what it is to be affected secondhand by the ugliness and destructiveness of it all. And after all this - to the deepest of my core - I HATE DRUGS. I hate them more than I can hate anything else. This is my best guess as to how to avoid becoming an addict:
1.) Have a strong sense of your own mortality. I often see myself crashing in a fiery ball if I start to drive faster than I should. Maybe if you practice being aware of how you can die or become injured in a sudden and unexpected way, you would be more careful of the life you were given.
2.) Do things that scare you. I really believe there is something about youth that almost instinctively drives us to take risks. I think you absolutely need to satisfy this need. Give a speech, try out for a play, go water skiing, play competitive sports, perform in a band- karaoke, if need by. But do things that get your adrenaline going and make you go "WHEW!" afterwards.
3.) Hang out with people who inspire you to be better. It's all about peer pressure. If your friends do drugs, it will be so easy for you to do drugs. Make a conscious effort to befriend those people who do not do drugs and are unlikely to start. Pursue friends who have their focus on their future, their goals, not just those who are looking to "pass the time" and have fun.
4.) Become informed. Know what drugs do to you. Read stories about people whose lives were ruined. Know the slang terms, the side-effects, know the withdraw symptoms, know the statistics. Obtain this information before someone tries to convince you with the lies they tell to downplay the reality of drugs. Know that they are telling you lies from the beginning, so you can see right through them.
5.) Recognize that junkies are just like everyone else. Drug users are not generally what they appear to be. They are not always thin, or poor, or have bad teeth, or wear sunglasses, wear baggy clothes, or talk in a slur, or use bad language. They are your quiet unassuming neighbor, your overly friendly coworker, your handsome well-dressed cousin. Do not assume that because they can still function in society, that drugs have not already taken away so much of their freedom and happiness. Don't allow them to set an example of how you, too, can still have a normal life as a drug user.
6.) Never begin lying. People who are good liars got there because of practice. Addicts often become great at lying to get money, to hide their drug use, to allow them to live a seemingly normal life. As soon as you being lying about the little things, it becomes easier to lie about the big ones. Just because you are smart and you can read people very well, it does not mean you should spend your efforts on developing this skill to manipulate people. You will always pay the biggest price.
7.) Have something to live for. If actions speak louder than words, then I think that junkies love their drugs more than their parents, more than their spouses, more than their children. Yet this is often the only reason that hard-core junkies give it up. Find something or someone to love. And love them. And make that love the most important thing in your existence. Otherwise, you will find something else to love that will not love you back.
8.) Never let money burn a hole in your pocket. It is so easy for young people with money to spend to spend it on drugs. If I were a parent, I would never allow my child to have unearned spending money. Money can be the biggest curse to the young. Money that is not earned will likely be spent on "junk." It is up to them what kind of junk it will be.
9.) Fill your life. I think it is really dangerous for young people to have too much time on their hands. They have so much energy to burn. School, a part-time job, after-school activities, do it all! You can sleep when you die! Hopefully much later rather than sooner.
10.) Love yourself. I know this is so much easier said than done, but I think all of us need to become the kind of person we can respect and love: Fiercely and desperately love. Drugs are nothing but a long-term form of suicide. You must love yourself enough to live.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Secrets to Happiness
Once in a while, inexpilcably, and for some reason fairly often lately, I find myself feeling a rush of pure happiness. It is usually spurred on my something minor, a great song, a dip in a lap pool, the sight of two baby geckos hunting among the banana trees in my back yard...but I think often about what can make me suddenly so happy...so this is what I have been able to come up with so far.
1.) Earn the money you make: I recognize that people all over the world do not get paid an ounce of what they are worth, but if we believed the going rate for wages in this country, I feel that I offer my employer a good transaction, my labor for my wage. I feel I make a good honest commitment to my work and I do as I am asked and therefore earn an honest wage.
2.) Spend money (or energy/time) on ways that further your belief system: For the money I do make, I feel that I am not forced into spending money in a way that harms me or others. I do not spend money on drugs, or alcohol, or medical expenses for a harmful lifestyle, or other harmful "escapes". I spend money to educate myself - books and newspapers, and books on tape and renting educational movies and lectures and tuition. I buy eco-friendly and human-friendly (fair-trade) products and vegan food. I know I can do better and I continually strive to do better, but it is a wonderful journey.
3.) Say "yes!" and show up when you say you will: I have had so many wonderful experiences simply becuase I have a rule - When I am offered an opportunity to participate in an activity, I accept and I show up. Even if it seems scary, even if it is awfully early in the morning, even if I know no one I know will be there. It is amazing what you can experience if you take each oppportunity that arises and show up!
4.) Accept people for who they are: I have learned that it is so much more freeing to accept that everyone has weaknesses and you much learn to love people for the good in them, and overlook the bad. And actually, the bad in people really just makes them more interesting! You cannot change people, you can only change yourself. It has brought me so much peace in my life when I am able to do this, but it is not always easy.
5.) Look at the little things: You can be happy if you just notice the little things. The rain lilies blooming, that my cat Calsetta just began to purr, that I have found a few mosquito larvae to feed to my fish as a treat. These little pleasures can be such a thrill if only you notice!
6.) Eating well: I can't get over how lousy I feel when I eat something heavily processed, with white flour and/or white sugar or high fructose corn syrup or MSG or tons of grease. If I maintain a diet of whole plant foods, I never stop! Give me fruit for desert and crunchy greens for dinner. When people say life is too short to eat healthy, I say life is too short NOT to eat healthy!
7.) Keep your mind occupied: I want to have a lifetime of constant learning. A new interest completely energized me and thrills me. And only through learning can I find new interests. Therefore I try to learn anything I can and expose myself to all kinds of new things. There is a world of new foods and way to cook them, sports and hobbies, plants and animals, technology and economic changes, political issues and social issues, ways to dance and languages to learn. I have a lifetime to discover them all!
8.) A good marriage: I have a husband I adore. We have managed to learn to compromise and work through our differences and we have a remarkably exciting, comforting, challenging, satisfying, precious relationship. He is such an inspiration to me in how he learns and experiences life...and his face is the most beautiful site in the world.
9.) Life your own life: I am not overly-influenced on society's expectation of how to be. I think it is sad to make choices based on other's people expectations of you. The more I relinquish myself from such outside influences, the more free to be me I am!
10.) Just be HAPPY: Happiness is a choice. I firmly believe this. But it is not as simple and just forcing yourself to smile. Happiness is somthing to work towards, something to strive for. I consiously choose to fill my days one way or another. I believe if your life thoughtfully and honestly, you can find what might make you happy too!
1.) Earn the money you make: I recognize that people all over the world do not get paid an ounce of what they are worth, but if we believed the going rate for wages in this country, I feel that I offer my employer a good transaction, my labor for my wage. I feel I make a good honest commitment to my work and I do as I am asked and therefore earn an honest wage.
2.) Spend money (or energy/time) on ways that further your belief system: For the money I do make, I feel that I am not forced into spending money in a way that harms me or others. I do not spend money on drugs, or alcohol, or medical expenses for a harmful lifestyle, or other harmful "escapes". I spend money to educate myself - books and newspapers, and books on tape and renting educational movies and lectures and tuition. I buy eco-friendly and human-friendly (fair-trade) products and vegan food. I know I can do better and I continually strive to do better, but it is a wonderful journey.
3.) Say "yes!" and show up when you say you will: I have had so many wonderful experiences simply becuase I have a rule - When I am offered an opportunity to participate in an activity, I accept and I show up. Even if it seems scary, even if it is awfully early in the morning, even if I know no one I know will be there. It is amazing what you can experience if you take each oppportunity that arises and show up!
4.) Accept people for who they are: I have learned that it is so much more freeing to accept that everyone has weaknesses and you much learn to love people for the good in them, and overlook the bad. And actually, the bad in people really just makes them more interesting! You cannot change people, you can only change yourself. It has brought me so much peace in my life when I am able to do this, but it is not always easy.
5.) Look at the little things: You can be happy if you just notice the little things. The rain lilies blooming, that my cat Calsetta just began to purr, that I have found a few mosquito larvae to feed to my fish as a treat. These little pleasures can be such a thrill if only you notice!
6.) Eating well: I can't get over how lousy I feel when I eat something heavily processed, with white flour and/or white sugar or high fructose corn syrup or MSG or tons of grease. If I maintain a diet of whole plant foods, I never stop! Give me fruit for desert and crunchy greens for dinner. When people say life is too short to eat healthy, I say life is too short NOT to eat healthy!
7.) Keep your mind occupied: I want to have a lifetime of constant learning. A new interest completely energized me and thrills me. And only through learning can I find new interests. Therefore I try to learn anything I can and expose myself to all kinds of new things. There is a world of new foods and way to cook them, sports and hobbies, plants and animals, technology and economic changes, political issues and social issues, ways to dance and languages to learn. I have a lifetime to discover them all!
8.) A good marriage: I have a husband I adore. We have managed to learn to compromise and work through our differences and we have a remarkably exciting, comforting, challenging, satisfying, precious relationship. He is such an inspiration to me in how he learns and experiences life...and his face is the most beautiful site in the world.
9.) Life your own life: I am not overly-influenced on society's expectation of how to be. I think it is sad to make choices based on other's people expectations of you. The more I relinquish myself from such outside influences, the more free to be me I am!
10.) Just be HAPPY: Happiness is a choice. I firmly believe this. But it is not as simple and just forcing yourself to smile. Happiness is somthing to work towards, something to strive for. I consiously choose to fill my days one way or another. I believe if your life thoughtfully and honestly, you can find what might make you happy too!
Friday, June 1, 2007
I'm coming out!
I really hate to admit this. But, um, well.....I am a vegan. And I know very well that vegans are loathed more than Nazis in this culture. But it is WONDERFUL! I am so happy about the whole thing - the food, the non-killing thing, the health benefits, the community, how everytime I read nutrition articles it seems I am doing the right thing - all of it! If only I could make the world vegan! Ahhh! Sigh! But here I will cover only why I LOVE TO DO IT IN THE KITCHEN!
1.) You don't have to have two cutting boards for meat and vegetables. You don't spread salmonella all over your kitchen when you crack open an egg or debone a chicken. Sounds so horror-movie-ish to “DEBONE”.
2.) You can toss everything in your compost pile (you know how they say don't place meat or dairy in a compost pile, no problem!) You don't have cute critters tear open your garbage bags either.
3.) Messing with dead animals is just really really gross. Shudder. Touching, squeezing, kneading and hacking into dead and rotting corpses. Fresh meat is stiff with rigor mortis...your tender beef is softened with time. Think of it...AGED cow flesh means OLD cow flesh.
4.) You never forget to thaw out dinner. Tofu or tempeh is ready and waiting for you in the fridge and all your veggies are in lovely bowls on the table. Cans of beans ready for a mere rinse, and pastas a few minutes till al dente.
5.) Vegan food is naturally so beautiful. You do not need the obligatory sad piece of parsley or chives to pretty up the assortment of beige and brown food on your plate. The food is already beautiful colored and certainly needs no further adornment.
6.) You have so many options! Now, I realize it does not have to be this way, but something about being a vegan prompts people to try so many more foods than the average omnivore. There are so many types of grains, rice, beans, vegetables, herbs, spices, fruit, nut and seed oils, etc. that most people scarcely have heard of. Trust me - long term vegans know them well.
7.) When you want to cut fat in baked goods, you use vegan egg replacers instead of egg whites. What a cruel thing for a charming critter like a chicken to be tortured for 36 hours to make an egg for your consumption and then for its yolk to be then thrown down the sink!
8.) When you go on picnics, the food does not spawn generations of bacteriological and fungal goo. Vegan picnic food is SO much better at staying deliciously edible in a cooler. Vegetables, noodles, pastas, beans, grains, potatoes with vinegars and oils make lovely stay-fresh and satisfying meals on the go. Try taking your run-of-the-mill egg-ridden mayonnaised coleslaw and potato salad, fried chicken food out on the beach on a hot day...heaven help your intestines!
9.) You can shock your guests. How lovely it is to have your doubting pals come over dreading the lack of animals that will be presented to them – only to shatter all their notions of bland unsatisfying “you are hungry again in an hour” misconceptions about how vegans eat. I love that look of happy and curious wonderment _”WOW, this was GOOD!” …followed by the inevitable….”Are you sure this is vegan???”
10.) You learn how to cook. You REALLY learn how to cook. When you can’t rely on recipes on the back of the condensed cream-of-mushroom soup (hack, hack) to make dinner, you learn the true skill of cooking. And what a beautiful joy it is!
1.) You don't have to have two cutting boards for meat and vegetables. You don't spread salmonella all over your kitchen when you crack open an egg or debone a chicken. Sounds so horror-movie-ish to “DEBONE”.
2.) You can toss everything in your compost pile (you know how they say don't place meat or dairy in a compost pile, no problem!) You don't have cute critters tear open your garbage bags either.
3.) Messing with dead animals is just really really gross. Shudder. Touching, squeezing, kneading and hacking into dead and rotting corpses. Fresh meat is stiff with rigor mortis...your tender beef is softened with time. Think of it...AGED cow flesh means OLD cow flesh.
4.) You never forget to thaw out dinner. Tofu or tempeh is ready and waiting for you in the fridge and all your veggies are in lovely bowls on the table. Cans of beans ready for a mere rinse, and pastas a few minutes till al dente.
5.) Vegan food is naturally so beautiful. You do not need the obligatory sad piece of parsley or chives to pretty up the assortment of beige and brown food on your plate. The food is already beautiful colored and certainly needs no further adornment.
6.) You have so many options! Now, I realize it does not have to be this way, but something about being a vegan prompts people to try so many more foods than the average omnivore. There are so many types of grains, rice, beans, vegetables, herbs, spices, fruit, nut and seed oils, etc. that most people scarcely have heard of. Trust me - long term vegans know them well.
7.) When you want to cut fat in baked goods, you use vegan egg replacers instead of egg whites. What a cruel thing for a charming critter like a chicken to be tortured for 36 hours to make an egg for your consumption and then for its yolk to be then thrown down the sink!
8.) When you go on picnics, the food does not spawn generations of bacteriological and fungal goo. Vegan picnic food is SO much better at staying deliciously edible in a cooler. Vegetables, noodles, pastas, beans, grains, potatoes with vinegars and oils make lovely stay-fresh and satisfying meals on the go. Try taking your run-of-the-mill egg-ridden mayonnaised coleslaw and potato salad, fried chicken food out on the beach on a hot day...heaven help your intestines!
9.) You can shock your guests. How lovely it is to have your doubting pals come over dreading the lack of animals that will be presented to them – only to shatter all their notions of bland unsatisfying “you are hungry again in an hour” misconceptions about how vegans eat. I love that look of happy and curious wonderment _”WOW, this was GOOD!” …followed by the inevitable….”Are you sure this is vegan???”
10.) You learn how to cook. You REALLY learn how to cook. When you can’t rely on recipes on the back of the condensed cream-of-mushroom soup (hack, hack) to make dinner, you learn the true skill of cooking. And what a beautiful joy it is!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
You've got to stop living in a vacuum!
I have a cartoon by Mueller up on my computer. It is one guy looking at a guy inside a vacuum with the caption "You've got to stop living in a vacuum". I need to keep inspirations around like that to remind me that I need to get out in the world and interact with people. I come from very friendly people. Almost to a fault. My parents can talk to anyone at anytime about anything. I love that they never seem to pick and choose who to talk to. If someone has an ear, they both figure that ear needs a talkin' to. And I suppose, in my good moments, I can be like that too. But in general, I feel far more comfortable having my conversations in my own imagination, between me and a news article, or a book, or a TV show. I am really trying to be better. I find that I really fear telling the people in my life that I love, admire and appreciate them. What a silly fear! Anyway, so here is my top ten list for ways to tell people in your life how you feel about them, even if you are scared to do so. I do not intend to scold, this is really a list for me, myself and I, and I plan to refer to it often….
1. You can send gifts instead of delivering them to someone in person. It is a relief to me not to have to look at someone in the face when you hand them a gift.
2. Complement people behind their back. Tell other people how much someone has inspired you or how smart or interesting you think they are, or how helpful they have been to you in the past.
3. Buy what they are selling. I don't care if it is useless crap that is priced 10 times what it is worth. Buy it out of appreciation for who they are and what they value.
4. Talk to your friends about your friends. When one of your friends is struggling with a relationship problem, tell them a story of how another one of your friends conquered the same problem. No need to use names.
5. Adore their family members. Tell your coworker his wife is gorgeous. Tell her that her son is the sweetest child you've ever met. Coo and awe at those baby pictures.
6. Listen. Even if you don't know what to say or how to respond or how to fix the problem. Just listen and nod and incorporate their words into your psyche to think about later.
7. Accept invitations: When someone invites you over, gosh darn, say yes and commit to showing up. Showing up is half the battle, even if you think you don’t have enough guts to make it through the evening.
8. Be honest: Don’t try to be someone else to make people like you. You might think that hiding that you feel differently about some political or social issue will avoid any possibility of conflict, but in the end you are simply being dishonest and showing that you do not have enough trust that you will be accepted for who you are. Be honest about who you are and your feelings, and show the people in your life that you trust them with your thoughts and feelings.
9. Share: Give till you think it might hurt. If you only feel comfortable sharing one of your homemade brownies, give away two. If those homegrown zucchini are extra delicious this year even though you only grew two, give away one. If everyone is giving 5 dollars to give flowers for the death of a loved one, give 10.
10. Be kind: When those rare opportunities come about when you can really connect with someone, when they are in tears, when someone else is excluding them, when you should take the blame instead, when someone else speaks badly of another, speak up! Defend! Invite! Hug! Take any opportunity that arises to be kind and grab it and use it before it gets away, before you change your mind.
1. You can send gifts instead of delivering them to someone in person. It is a relief to me not to have to look at someone in the face when you hand them a gift.
2. Complement people behind their back. Tell other people how much someone has inspired you or how smart or interesting you think they are, or how helpful they have been to you in the past.
3. Buy what they are selling. I don't care if it is useless crap that is priced 10 times what it is worth. Buy it out of appreciation for who they are and what they value.
4. Talk to your friends about your friends. When one of your friends is struggling with a relationship problem, tell them a story of how another one of your friends conquered the same problem. No need to use names.
5. Adore their family members. Tell your coworker his wife is gorgeous. Tell her that her son is the sweetest child you've ever met. Coo and awe at those baby pictures.
6. Listen. Even if you don't know what to say or how to respond or how to fix the problem. Just listen and nod and incorporate their words into your psyche to think about later.
7. Accept invitations: When someone invites you over, gosh darn, say yes and commit to showing up. Showing up is half the battle, even if you think you don’t have enough guts to make it through the evening.
8. Be honest: Don’t try to be someone else to make people like you. You might think that hiding that you feel differently about some political or social issue will avoid any possibility of conflict, but in the end you are simply being dishonest and showing that you do not have enough trust that you will be accepted for who you are. Be honest about who you are and your feelings, and show the people in your life that you trust them with your thoughts and feelings.
9. Share: Give till you think it might hurt. If you only feel comfortable sharing one of your homemade brownies, give away two. If those homegrown zucchini are extra delicious this year even though you only grew two, give away one. If everyone is giving 5 dollars to give flowers for the death of a loved one, give 10.
10. Be kind: When those rare opportunities come about when you can really connect with someone, when they are in tears, when someone else is excluding them, when you should take the blame instead, when someone else speaks badly of another, speak up! Defend! Invite! Hug! Take any opportunity that arises to be kind and grab it and use it before it gets away, before you change your mind.
Friday, May 4, 2007
These are a few of my favorite things!
Everyone should have a favorite…
1.) Cartoonist: John Callaghan is mine. Really in-your face painfully-ironic stuff. It is delicious. Everyone should find someone who really speaks to them in pictures and short tidbits of language. Then buy a book of cartoons, or cut out cartoons that you really love and keep them in a often-opened book, on the refrigerator, up on your bulletin board at work. Humor is so enriching. Wallow in it.
2.) Stand-up comedian: I’ve got several. Rodney Carrington and the ”Love Master” Craig Schumacher are faves. You need to frequent comedy clubs to find one. Stand-up is best observed live. Find one you really enjoyed and follow his/her career. Monitor when she comes to town and see her each time. Get a CD autographed. Let his jokes become part of your vocabulary. Develop a series of inside jokes with your family members based on their humor. It’s infectious!
3.) Radio talk-show host: I love talk radio from Stephanie Miller to Michael Savage (some folks you just love to hate), and for me, pretty much anyone talking politics is enough for me to become a fan. But to me, it is a great study in communication, BS, manipulation, culture, social mores, politics, news and information. Keep your brain occupied as you do your busy work, and your brain will grow!
4.) Cooking show: Does Anthony Bourdain count? I don’t think people in this country focus enough on what goes in their mouth. Convenience foods have become the foods that define our USA culture and I think that is really sad. We should be more educated in different foods and how to prepare foods at home. It isn’t enough to watch, but really try to learn something and incorporate meals into your repertoire, and then your traditions, and then you can become a food artist yourself. Food IS culture.
5.) Animal: I get so much out of my love for animals, whether my cats, my vericomposting worms, the grackles eating moths in my yard, the “taquache” (opossum) that eats the veggies I toss in the compost…but my favorite animal overall are lizards. Their little eyes look so wise, their movements so assured, I’ve loved them for as long as I can remember. I think, ironically, that loving animals makes us more human. After all, we are animals! We just aren’t quite ready to admit it.
6.) Thing to do on a vacation: Play in the surf. Those things that you don’t get to do very often, but when you do, they absolutely thrill you to your very core! Nuf’ said!
7.) Sport: I know everyone has a favorite sports team, or favorite sport that they watch, but everyone should have a favorite sport that they DO. (I need one myself) There is something about competition for a simple, lighthearted game. As adults we don’t get to play as often as we should. Skip a day at the gym and toss a soccer ball around with some pals. Or invite a friend or a spouse to join you in a game of chess for a brain workout.
8.) Skill: I think I'll have to say that belly-dancing is my lastest favorite. Singing, painting, making furniture, sewing, playing the violin, juggling, writing poems, speaking a different language, voice impressions, telling stories, making a knot in a cherry stem with your tongue. Everyone needs the opportunity to show off!
9.) Historical subject: The black plague is mine (I have a dark side, I suppose). I really am impressed when I can get in a conversation with someone who can put today’s events in historical perspective. History is so interesting, but we can’t know it all. I think if you can focus on one little part of history that interests you, the Civil War, the development of the Catholic Church, Communism in Europe, we are able to see current events with a richer perspective.
10.) Philosophy: The environment is mine (or couldn’t you tell?). Everyone needs a guiding principle. For many people it is religion, for some it is love of country, family, or economic principle, for some it is the pursuit of money or career success or even simply survival. What ever it might be, you should have some set of values that underlies the motivation for your principles. And make sure it is a guiding principle that makes you proud. That is the most important one of all.
1.) Cartoonist: John Callaghan is mine. Really in-your face painfully-ironic stuff. It is delicious. Everyone should find someone who really speaks to them in pictures and short tidbits of language. Then buy a book of cartoons, or cut out cartoons that you really love and keep them in a often-opened book, on the refrigerator, up on your bulletin board at work. Humor is so enriching. Wallow in it.
2.) Stand-up comedian: I’ve got several. Rodney Carrington and the ”Love Master” Craig Schumacher are faves. You need to frequent comedy clubs to find one. Stand-up is best observed live. Find one you really enjoyed and follow his/her career. Monitor when she comes to town and see her each time. Get a CD autographed. Let his jokes become part of your vocabulary. Develop a series of inside jokes with your family members based on their humor. It’s infectious!
3.) Radio talk-show host: I love talk radio from Stephanie Miller to Michael Savage (some folks you just love to hate), and for me, pretty much anyone talking politics is enough for me to become a fan. But to me, it is a great study in communication, BS, manipulation, culture, social mores, politics, news and information. Keep your brain occupied as you do your busy work, and your brain will grow!
4.) Cooking show: Does Anthony Bourdain count? I don’t think people in this country focus enough on what goes in their mouth. Convenience foods have become the foods that define our USA culture and I think that is really sad. We should be more educated in different foods and how to prepare foods at home. It isn’t enough to watch, but really try to learn something and incorporate meals into your repertoire, and then your traditions, and then you can become a food artist yourself. Food IS culture.
5.) Animal: I get so much out of my love for animals, whether my cats, my vericomposting worms, the grackles eating moths in my yard, the “taquache” (opossum) that eats the veggies I toss in the compost…but my favorite animal overall are lizards. Their little eyes look so wise, their movements so assured, I’ve loved them for as long as I can remember. I think, ironically, that loving animals makes us more human. After all, we are animals! We just aren’t quite ready to admit it.
6.) Thing to do on a vacation: Play in the surf. Those things that you don’t get to do very often, but when you do, they absolutely thrill you to your very core! Nuf’ said!
7.) Sport: I know everyone has a favorite sports team, or favorite sport that they watch, but everyone should have a favorite sport that they DO. (I need one myself) There is something about competition for a simple, lighthearted game. As adults we don’t get to play as often as we should. Skip a day at the gym and toss a soccer ball around with some pals. Or invite a friend or a spouse to join you in a game of chess for a brain workout.
8.) Skill: I think I'll have to say that belly-dancing is my lastest favorite. Singing, painting, making furniture, sewing, playing the violin, juggling, writing poems, speaking a different language, voice impressions, telling stories, making a knot in a cherry stem with your tongue. Everyone needs the opportunity to show off!
9.) Historical subject: The black plague is mine (I have a dark side, I suppose). I really am impressed when I can get in a conversation with someone who can put today’s events in historical perspective. History is so interesting, but we can’t know it all. I think if you can focus on one little part of history that interests you, the Civil War, the development of the Catholic Church, Communism in Europe, we are able to see current events with a richer perspective.
10.) Philosophy: The environment is mine (or couldn’t you tell?). Everyone needs a guiding principle. For many people it is religion, for some it is love of country, family, or economic principle, for some it is the pursuit of money or career success or even simply survival. What ever it might be, you should have some set of values that underlies the motivation for your principles. And make sure it is a guiding principle that makes you proud. That is the most important one of all.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Jumping right in....
I must have a couple of dozen "How to save the planet" books. It is never enough! But living the eco-friendly dream, for me, is endlessly interesting and ever-changing.
What are 10 easy ways to re-green-think your life.....
1.) Buy non-scented everything: Just think of your poor little lungs that have to process all those icky organic (think petrol-based meaning of the term) chemicals that pollute your atmosphere.
2.) Say yes to mom: Always accept used items from your friends or family. Used is always better for the environment. If people know you will accept these things, they will think of you next time they have something to get rid of! I like to be known as cheap cheap cheap!
3.) Find two uses for your water: Find ways to use your water twice. Keep a bucket in your shower and use the water to flush a toilet or to water plants. Keep a bowl in your sink as well. Consider installing a grey water system. Dry your clothes outside and make clouds!
4.) Never buy trash: Never buy things simply for the purpose of throwing them away. Never, ever buy garbage bags or paper towels or single use cleaner towels or zip-lock bags. There are so many alternatives already in your house. You spend more time and money on these throwaways than you save in the time you thought you were saving.
5.) Open a window: We had a $40 electricity bill last month. Why? We open windows and let the breezes in instead of using the AC. Functions as a fan. Also functions as an air cleaner. Also sometimes functions as a light bulb. And a cat toy...
6.) Think long term: Why buy an incandescent bulb for 50 cents when a $3 florescent can save you 20 dollars? Why buy a cheap refrigerator when a new energy efficient one will save you hundreds in a year? Why buy electric lights for the yard when a solar one costs only what you pay at check-out? Always consider the whole cost of something.
7.) Be Lazy: You don’t have to mow as often as you do now. You don't have to do that errand today, it can wait until the weekend when you can combine errands. You don't have to buy clothes you have to dry-clean. You don't have to make a three course meal when just a plate of pasta will satisfy. Simplicity saves the planet.
8.) Kill Germs: With a microwave, with boiling water, with full strength vinegar, with soap and water. Did you know you can kill fleas with any old shampoo? There is no need to buy the poisons.
9.) Become a collector: Of ideas instead of stuff. Develop your mind instead of filling your closet.
10.) Love one another: Make friends, volunteer, start up a conversation, send a letter, send an email, steal a kiss. Spread the word. Share yourself and your ideas. The more we fill our lives with each other, the less we need to fill up our lives with things.
What are 10 easy ways to re-green-think your life.....
1.) Buy non-scented everything: Just think of your poor little lungs that have to process all those icky organic (think petrol-based meaning of the term) chemicals that pollute your atmosphere.
2.) Say yes to mom: Always accept used items from your friends or family. Used is always better for the environment. If people know you will accept these things, they will think of you next time they have something to get rid of! I like to be known as cheap cheap cheap!
3.) Find two uses for your water: Find ways to use your water twice. Keep a bucket in your shower and use the water to flush a toilet or to water plants. Keep a bowl in your sink as well. Consider installing a grey water system. Dry your clothes outside and make clouds!
4.) Never buy trash: Never buy things simply for the purpose of throwing them away. Never, ever buy garbage bags or paper towels or single use cleaner towels or zip-lock bags. There are so many alternatives already in your house. You spend more time and money on these throwaways than you save in the time you thought you were saving.
5.) Open a window: We had a $40 electricity bill last month. Why? We open windows and let the breezes in instead of using the AC. Functions as a fan. Also functions as an air cleaner. Also sometimes functions as a light bulb. And a cat toy...
6.) Think long term: Why buy an incandescent bulb for 50 cents when a $3 florescent can save you 20 dollars? Why buy a cheap refrigerator when a new energy efficient one will save you hundreds in a year? Why buy electric lights for the yard when a solar one costs only what you pay at check-out? Always consider the whole cost of something.
7.) Be Lazy: You don’t have to mow as often as you do now. You don't have to do that errand today, it can wait until the weekend when you can combine errands. You don't have to buy clothes you have to dry-clean. You don't have to make a three course meal when just a plate of pasta will satisfy. Simplicity saves the planet.
8.) Kill Germs: With a microwave, with boiling water, with full strength vinegar, with soap and water. Did you know you can kill fleas with any old shampoo? There is no need to buy the poisons.
9.) Become a collector: Of ideas instead of stuff. Develop your mind instead of filling your closet.
10.) Love one another: Make friends, volunteer, start up a conversation, send a letter, send an email, steal a kiss. Spread the word. Share yourself and your ideas. The more we fill our lives with each other, the less we need to fill up our lives with things.
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