Anyway, in honor of Earth Day, Baby Z and I headed out for some serious Creation Conscious* activities.
First up, we went to a local Farmer's Market. I've been wanting to do this for a while but I finally found one at a time that worked for us. It was a bit of a drive, but I imagined Baby Z and I browsing through outdoor stalls, meeting local farmers, enjoying the sunshine, admiring the beautiful fruit. I was confronted with my true motivation for shopping at a farmer's market when we got there and saw it was neither quaint nor outdoors. It was an indoor asian grocery store. I felt a little duped and considered turning around and going home, but we already used the gas (the gas, people, on earth day!). I needed some udon noodles anyway, so we did a little shopping (asian pears- yum!) and then left. I checked again on the web site when I got home and it is a market where local farmers sell their produce directly, so I don't feel quite so disappointed. Supporting local farmers means less transportation/pollution and fresher fruit for me. And, shoot, if the idyllic expectation of the experience is what it took to motivate me to take care of God's creation, so be it. So, I guess I'll look for an outdoor farmer's market and try again. It's important to find what motivates you.
Now, if you can play "3 R's" song by Jack Johnson in your head for this next bit...
Next, we donated some clothing to the Goodwill for someone else to REUSE. I spent a good part of yesterday morning clearing out (REDUCING) my closet and finally getting rid of items (especially business attire) that I had to admit I would probably not wear again. I followed Vaguely Urban's advice and took pictures of the sentimental items in order to let go (my first pair of nice work pants!). Donating items helps in lots of ways:
- I have less clutter and can more clearly see the clothing I like to wear, thus being less tempted to purchase more items. REDUCE
- The donated items help the less fortunate and REUSE items that would otherwise be thrown away (which doesn't mean it goes away--trash in landfills?).
- And beyond giving clothes to needy ones here locally, it also allows me to give to others not so nearby. I used Turb0tax's online tax deductions calculator to figure out what kind of tax break the donated clothes would give us. Then, I gave that money to a charity: The Rafiki Foundation.
And next.... my very personal sacrifice in honor of Earth Day: I refrained from taking a shower. I conserved water and enjoyed some time reading a book instead. The book was borrowed from the library, not purchased. (REDUCE, REUSE) Those who know me know that not taking a shower is a semi-significant price for me to pay (not huge, but not nothing). But those who know me also know that reading considerably lessens the sting of sacrifice.
In the afternoon, Baby Z and I took our usual trip to the grocery store. But this time, I finally managed to remember my reusable grocery bags! YEAH! And, I used a coupon to get another reusable bag for free. REUSING the reusable bags REDUCED the number of plastic bags we typically use from eight to zero!
Now, just to get the perfect trifecta of Earth Day, I did drop a bunch of stuff into my recycling bin. This is perhaps the creation conscious activity I do most consistently, which is good, but it is also the least best option of the three R's. I just learned this hierarchy, so it took me down a notch in feeling good about what I do for the earth every day. However, it also made me step up my game in other areas, so that's good!
I can honestly say this is the first time I recognized Earth Day in any way. And I'm thrilled that I can do a little to make the world better for my kids and your kids. And I'm excited to teach Baby Z all about it as a part of every day life. I can already see myself singing a little Jack Johnson when I tell our second child he/she gets to reuse his/her older sibling's clothes.**
* Creation Conscious, Creation Care - what we Christians should have been thinking all along way before being "Green" was so prevalent in our media and culture. But, alas, one finger pointing out leaves three pointing back at me (cheesy grin). I like thinking of being environmentally responsible in this light: God created our earth and delighted in it. He gave it to mankind to take care of and use to honor Him. This includes taking care of the things on this planet, including people, such as those who are being taken advantage of, or suffering due to poverty, famine, greed of others. Okay, I'll stop preaching now. Note: For the term Creation Care, and a lot of the ideas in this post, I give full credit to a very capable and passionate woman in my MOPS group who inspired us all with her ideas for living life as a better Christian and global citizen.
** No, I'm not pregnant.
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