Category: Thoughts/Questions

Clothes Hangers and Wake-Up Calls

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WHyyyyyy?!  Why another one?

I’m an over-thinker by nature, and as an environmentalist and a parent, this tendency has been ramped up way more than I could have imagined.  Being conscious of what we’re buying, where it has come from, what it’s afterlife will be—it’s exhausting.  Seriously, over half of my “clutter” is just odds and ends of what most other people would easily call ‘trash’ that I just feel obligated to keep and find a use for so I don’t have to throw it in a landfill.  And one of those collections in the garage is plastic FREAKIN hangers!  I’m not even talking about the ones that are everyday, ‘closet’ hangers (that’s a whole other post).  No, these are the hangers that stores attach to new shirts, underwear, socks.  And I mean ‘attach.’  Have you every tried getting a new set of underwear off these ridiculous plastic hangers?  argh!

Being on a clean-out phase where I’m trying to make peace with the fact that I simply cannot make a project out of every bit of waste from our lives, I thought I’d start with those silly, tangly, plastic store hangers.  But first….  First, I needed to do a little research because, well, that’s what I do.  And I’m dismayed, because, Yes, obviously this is a major problem.  It makes my heart sink thinking about all these ‘throw-away’ hangers, even those teeny tiny hook ones that come on socks.  I know that resting the weight of the world’s plastic problem on my shoulders is not helpful here, but I must vent or cry or whatever it is I’m trying to do here.  The world- the ‘system’- has been set up for wastefulness.  And it sucks.  Many go along blindly, just keeping their homes Pinterest-perfect, tossing anything that’s no longer needed.  And, I get it.  I do.  But a wake-up call is coming.  For ALL of us.  Not just the ones who stay up nights, tossing and turning, trying to figure out what to do with old CD cases and plastic hangers, but anyone on this planet.  Because the horribly wasteful, negligent systems we have in place right now to keep people in this never-ending cycle of buying and spending and consuming and tossing–these systems aren’t working.  The planet needs us to wake the heck up.

And the really tough part is, it’s not just plastic hangers or straws or floss containers.  It’s everything!  There’s SO MUCH STUFF.  And, in a way, it’s not really our faults, because this is so much bigger than any of us.  It’s not on me or you to save the world of these major problems….  But, then again, Yes. Yes, it absolutely is.  We need to take a stand.  We need to let companies know what we’re thinking and that we don’t like their practices.  We need to seek out the companies that ARE doing conscious, good, sustainable practices.  They are out there, and never has it been easier to find them and support them.  We need to re-prioritize.  Most people I know have way more money than they need.  I am absolutely aware this isn’t the case everywhere.  But those who have money can be making smarter choices.  Buying less stuff at higher prices to support the change-makers who need to charge more to do it ‘right.’

We can do this!  Bags, straws, hangers.  These sound like small steps for a much, much bigger problem.  But these are the steps that matter.  The wake-up calls all of us need to look around us and start to question how our stuff got to us and what’s to become of it when we’re done.

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LOL

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I don’t know if I laugh out loud enough.  Probably not many of us do.  But, when I do, I get it.  I understand the importance of comedy and laughter in our lives.  And I want more!

I love being around people who make me laugh out loud, and I’m very lucky to say that many of the people in my life fill this role quite well.  I dislike when people or movies try to get a cheap laugh by tearing someone else down or by trying to be crass.  That’s not my type of comedy.  (So, that rules out a good majority of current TV shows and movies for me.)  I love witty comedy and, yes, I loves me some good puns.

I always thought “comedic timing” was about the timing of a live comedy performance or maybe the rhythm and pace of lines in a TV show or movie.  It never occurred to me that comedic timing can also be the actual time period of a joke.  Certain phrases or lines that may have been big hits decades ago may make no sense in modern context.  (And a slew of lines from 80s TV shows and commercials just rang through my head.)  And certain subjects definitely aren’t ready to be the core of jokes until decades from now.  There’s also our own personal comedic timing.  Things that have cracked me up in the past may not elicit the same response now.  And I think this is what makes comedy so magical.  It’s fluid and timely, and when it hits you, it’s unexpected.  That’s what makes it come alive.

The other night, as I was reading this book, I completely lost it.  I was in hysterics.  And as I tried to explain the reason for my laughter attack to my husband, I just laughed harder.  Actual tears were streaming down my face to the point where I didn’t know if I was laughing or crying, and I couldn’t catch my breath.  These kind of laughter fits are treasured ones.  And it made me reflect on other times in my life when I’ve laughed uncontrollably:

–Watching Wayne’s World for the first time in a budget theatre with my dad and brother
–Many instances with my childhood family, but the one that sticks out right now is at a restaurant we went to on vacation
–Seeing a Gary Larson cartoon in high school (which I cannot find even on the great wide Internet) of a caveman family riding an elephant, with the little boy saying, “Coast, Dad.  Coast.”
–Reading Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason on a friend’s houseboat
–Watching a live clown show (Yes, clown show) at the local library (I definitely didn’t see that one coming)
–Reading Darth Vader and Son on the couch, while holding my new baby boy.  (Serious gasping for air on this one–although my hormones were all over the place)
–Playing a video game with my son
–Laughing in bed with my daughter about a misunderstood deadly calf
–Reading Jenny Lawson’s book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, on the couch before bed

The interesting thing, of course, is that I can remember exactly where I was and who I was with during each of these “episodes.”  There are countless others and ones on smaller scales.  And even though I may not be able to repeat these laugh-out-loud moments with the same triggers, I like remembering them.  It reminds me to seek out more of these moments in my life.  The moments that make me forget whatever silly thing I was worried about and plant me very firmly in enjoying the now.

“Studies show that laughter relieves pain, relaxes stress, and stimulates the immune system.”

From House Calls by Patch Adams

Oh, Christmas Tree…

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I take issue with what is probably THE most treasured holiday custom of the year.  And I feel awful about that.  Because a beautifully decorated Christmas tree does hold magic.  BUT….

I just can’t make peace with it.  There are numerous articles out there discussing the pros and cons of real vs. artificial trees and which is better, but my choice continues to be -Neither.

In short, artificial trees are made with plastics, sometimes lead.  They are usually imported from China, which is a huge environmental footprint if you live elsewhere.  They emit toxins while being manufactured and in your home.  Even if you do reuse them for many years, their eventual landing space (and, yes, even those artificial leaves shed each year) is a landfill…  Nope.  Can’t do it.

Real trees, grown locally and –this is the really important part–recycled when they’re done, are supposedly the better of the two choices.  But, first off, as a tree lover, I just cannot make peace with cutting down a tree.  Ever.  Even if it’s grown for the purpose of killing.  I can’t do it, the same way vegetarians can’t eat meat.  Often times, wildlife do start making homes in these “temporary” trees, so that sucks.  And pesticides are often used in the process…  So, another ‘No’ from me.

And I totally get that there are bigger, other things with environmental impact.  I’m far from perfect, and I know I have many of these things in my life.  But, like I said, for some reason the Christmas tree is a sticking point for me.  So, this leaves me with “alternative” trees.  I’ve pinned a bunch of ideas for these on my Pinterest page.  But there are waaaay more than these ones out there.  These are just some of my favs.  I also really love the idea of potted, tabletop trees that can be planted after the holidays.  Living in rentals doesn’t usually allow for this though.

Several years ago, after years of decorating our wall with fabric or ribbon trees, I asked my husband to make a tree from an old pallet.  I painted it with some eco-friendly milk paint, which isn’t as bright and vibrant, but gives a bit of a rustic look that I like.  Anyway, we hang our lights (that’s a whole other post) and ornaments here.  At least once a year I wonder if we should just give in and get a “real” tree.  I research it and think about it all over again, and I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Yes, I miss the trees I grew up with during Christmas time, but there’s also something said for new traditions and for the creativity and togetherness involved in making our own kind of tree.  Besides, if I could give my kids a truly big gift for Christmas, it would be the chance at a more sustainable world for their future.  So, cheeseball as it sounds, there it is.  This is the tree that gives me “hope and strength throughout the year.”

Holiday Questions

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As we roll into the last month of this year, I have to admit that my first temptation was to have a post about gifts. And, while I would still like to do that, I stopped myself and realized how strange it is that our holiday season has become so centered around this.

Now, honestly, as much as I’m a fan of reducing unnecessary consumption and waste, I really do love the idea of holiday gift giving. I think there’s a lot of good behind the idea of wanting to show our appreciation of others through giving gifts and recognizing our own part in others’ lives by receiving gifts. But, it seems like the idea behind why we exchange gifts has almost gotten lost. I feel the holidays have become a whirlwind of shopping and lists and obligations. Many of us are going through the motions and doing the holiday “thing” out of habit or a life checklist of sorts.

So, I wanted to pause and think about what the holidays really mean. I know, upon reflection, this answer will be different for everyone. It might be about family or religion or forgiveness. It could be about endings and beginnings as the year comes to a close. It could be about the importance of quiet reflection or finding joy in the moment. But, much like the Whos down in Whoville, I know that the holiday season—for whatever it is you’re celebrating this month—is about more than gifts and feasts. So, while I don’t disagree with many of the traditions behind this month, I do think it’s important to pause and remember just why it is we’re doing them.

Thanks for listening!

Holiday Humbug

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For those of you reading this who don’t know me, I promise I’m not some grumpy, bitter Grinch.  And yet…    The more I study reducing and reusing, and the more I reflect on my actions and our products and how everything is made and what their afterlife is, the more I dislike just about every mainstream holiday tradition.  (sorry)

I know, I know.  This immediately paints me as a complete Scrooge of all holidays.  Although, I will say that by the end of the stories, The Grinch and Scrooge are the ones who are in the holiday spirit more than anyone else, right?

It’s not that I dislike holidays or celebrations or creating traditions.  I think the spirit behind holidays is wonderful.  A time to rejoice and be grateful?  Heck ya!  To be together with friends and family?  Yes, please.  To have something to look forward to?  Sounds awesome.     All of these core parts of holidays are so beautiful and so important. (Not to mention the obvious religious aspects of many holidays that mostly go ignored these days, even by those who are religious.)  But, the environmental impact of most mainstream holiday traditions makes me cringe.

In no particular order, I take issue with:

plastic Easter eggs, Christmas trees (both plastic ones and previously-living), pumpkins, fireworks, mass-produced Valentines, Thanksgiving as a holiday, wrapping paper, balloons, gingerbread houses, Amazon gifts, goodie bags, Christmas lights, over-gifting, and pretty much all the cheap, plastic decorations that are sold in mass for each and every holiday.  (And this is the short list…)

So, how to manage?  How to embrace the spirit of holidays and celebrations without cringing and being a complete outcast and party pooper?  I’m not quite sure…  It’s a delicate topic.  People cling pretty fiercely to habits and especially fiercely to anything tied to tradition.  Even by writing this post I realize I’m probably ticking off quite a few people (If anyone out there is actually reading…)  And I get it.  I totally do.  But, I guess I am holding out hope.  I’m thinking of the final scene of “The Grinch” when the Whos down in Whoville start singing without their gifts or their trees or their excessive decorations.  They embrace the deeper meaning of Christmas.  And if any year has given us the chance to do this, it’s this one.  This year that has collectively ripped away the norms for us of what we think life “should” look like.  But, we, as humans, are resilient and strong and creative.  If a holiday tradition doesn’t make sense in our world anymore, we are smart.  We will find things that do work.

So, on that note, may I wish you a happy holiday season for whatever you celebrate and however you celebrate.  May we all find and appreciate the deeper meaning of the celebrations in our lives.