Eco Elly’s

My sincerest apologies to those of you who actually read this humble blog regularly (are there any such readers?). School is eating me alive this semester. I won a talent award from the art department which requires me to take more credit hours than I ever have (14). It may not seem like many, but for this ADD student who’s never taken that many it’s a big change. In addition I’m working again for the first time in a little over a year, not too many hours, but still it adds up. And seeing as this is my first semester in the art program and some of my professors don’t understand that students have lives outside of drawing class (lives that include family members, religion, other classes, service, exercise, hygiene, and hobbies/social activities to keep sane) the work load is unbelievable. Now, that I think about it this is more than just a time issue. As much as it’s been driving me nuts that I don’t have more time to post all the neat things I’m reading/thinking about…I realize there’s a second problem caused by this overload that is, truthfully, a green issue.

One of the biggest obstacles in the green movement is the notion of “convenience.”  It’s become some sort of God to many people in the developed Western World, especially Americans. Paper plates, disposable cleaning wipes, fast food, even driving (especially when not carpooling) contribute in huge (often unnoticed ways) to the deteriorating health of our beautiful, and fragile home. That’s why I think the Simple Living movement is so important. I don’t know that I believe the green movement can be successful unless it goes hand in hand with simpler living. What’s frustrating is that as long as you’re in college still working at getting the all-important degree (I’m beginning to doubt its value, especially when it seems that earning one seems to be at the cost of actually learning anything), as long as you’re still entrapped in the university universe your professors, the system itself, forces you into a lifestyle in which time is such a rare commodity that convenience sneaks itself into your mind as something important, even necessary.

When you don’t have time to cook, clean your apartment, wash your dishes, wash your clothes,  write your Grandmother a letter, etc. you end up either giving in and eating fast food or over processed, over packaged convenience foods, using disposable dishes, neglecting the things that really matter (like family) for those that seem more urgent (like homework and exams). Or, in the case of our little family you only end up doing some of those things…because you refuse to use ridiculous things like paper plates and instead you end up with a big smelly pile of dishes in your kitchen that stress you out and make you embarrassed to have people over. These rat race lives we’re living are so often referred to as unavoidable. But they’re not…even when it’s college that makes things hectic. After all, I’ve chosen to go to school. I’ve chosen to live this way for several years (if I had only settled on my major sooner I might be graduating this year and escaping the chaos). And I choose to finish it out. It’s important to my family, and 30 years from now I’m sure it’ll be important to me to know I accomplished this. But it does make one think, question…and the one thing I do know is that as soon as I’m graduated I’m never choosing something that will make my life like this again. I’m not at all ashamed that my plans, my goals include being a stay-at-home mom. I’d rather increase the quality of the activities and things in my life than the quantity. A family can (despite what popular culture tells us) live quite happily on one income. In fact, they can live better. With a parent at home to do things like cook, clean, garden, sew, etc. you don’t have to spend all that extra money on those wicked little slave-masters we call “conveniences.”