kim b.’s earthday pledge: the lure of the mall
I am a failure. … At least last weekend I was. Nice holiday weekends are great, unless you’re trying not to spend money while spending time with family, shopping and eating out. I told myself gifts were accepted, so the Asian treats my mom handed me (which were actually mostly made in SoCal) were taken nicely, but the trip to the mall? That was all my fault. $200 worth of my fault.
I’ll admit that I cheated on my plan. But I’ve done really well so far. But it causes me to think about change and doing better for the Earth.
Small change is a big deal and I’ve thrown myself headfirst into a very demanding change. I don’t expect anyone to do what I’m doing, and I’m still learning about green living. I feel successful even now. I throw away a lot less because of the composting and I enjoy shopping local (although I miss a lot of store-bought food). My energy bill is less, and my water bill is next. I’m saving money. I’m happier. Life is simple. Simple is not trolling the mall for whatever it is I think I “need” and adding to the clothing that I already don’t wear.
Click through to the next page to read the rest of Kim’s post.
I came into this thinking green would make my life harder. It’s really made it easier. I’m making decisions that will last past these three months. Even if everything doesn’t stick something will. Sure, I’ll probably go back to my fashion-loving ways, but I’ll surely try to buy sustainable and organic when I can. Small changes make a difference.
Whether it’s changing a lightbulb, getting rid of your Teflon, starting a compost pile or even recycling a bit, one change is more than you did before. Baby steps, right? — Kim B.
Kim B., who lives on the Central Coast of California, runs All That and A and Decorazzi when she’s not trying to be an interior designer, chef, or prize-winning journalist. It’s time consuming.
June 1st, 2007 at 7:46 pm
Don’t be so hard on yourself! You’ve embarked on a huge change in lifestyle and those sort of things always take time to adjust to. I would imagine that no one would be okay with you being green and miserable.