"Papa, you're wasting water!"Are you on board with "going green"? I have to admit, up until recently, I was not. As a matter of fact, I was pretty smug about it. For example, I went to REI to make a purchase of a fantastic casual shirt, you know the kind, wash and wear (especially nice for busy dads), and after the purchase I remembered another item I needed. I returned to the sales clerk with some trinket or other and the sales clerk asked, "Shall I put this in the bag you already have?" My reply, which I thought was pretty funny at the time, was "Nope, I'm interested in making my carbon footprint as big as possible." The clerk was not amused and my reply shown its effect in his beet red face; I then realized this is really a religion for some. I felt rightly embarrassed and thus began my thinking and reexamination of my life, and its impact on the lives of my children.
Now, I'm getting on board with a "Green" way of living, in no small part due to my oldest (5 years) calling me on it. "You're wasting water, Papa. California doesn't have a lot." She's right, and what is my waste leaving for her? An examination of my habits lead to an examination of our our diets. Could we also be wasting food I thought? Yes, we, I mean, I was and in more ways than one? With this new sensitivity and awareness, and taking off the rose colored glasses that see our natural resources as being plentiful and never ending, we are conserving where possible and inching our way toward a vegetarian lifestyle, and for many logical reasons. How could I ignore the logic of going green and eating healthier?
This way of life has forced me to eat vegi-crow among my peers who know me to not usually be concerned about my carbon footprint. Thanks to the REI clerk, a colleague at work who is educating me on the benefits of reusable products, and my 5 y.o., we're living a greener and more mindful way of life.
For some tips on going green, check out Thrifty Thursdays: Green Home Habits That Save Money
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