The problem with awesome friends
is that they make me feel guilty because of their awesomeness.
Case in point. My friend Jennifer Chun (who I affectionately refer to as Jenny, Jenny from the block, or J Money) has started her own little green movement. Movement might be an overstatement. But every week she takes on a new green challenge and then blogs about how this has a positive impact on the environment, or how the uncurbed behavior has a negative impact, and then blogs her progress in that challenge. So now everytime I blow dry my hair or eat a burger, I feel guilty. The problem with me is that I've learned to live with guilt. Which means I can feel guilty about something and not necessarily stop doing it. This I am trying to change. Which means I need to stop eating burgers? God, I hope not.
Then my friend Lindsey McPherson decided to pack up everything she and her husband own and completely change her life in order to make sure her actions are coherent with her beliefs. This means that a former San Antonio-residing-school teacher who's lived in Texas her whole life and until a few years ago considered heating up a bowl of Cambell's soup cooking, is now going to be a farmer. Yes, that's right. A full-fledged farmer. She and the hubs are headed to Kentucky and will be running a full-time farm and educational outreach program to teach youth about sustainable living, diet, etc. If anyone else were undertaking to do this I would be horrified for the epic failure that I would be sure was about to ensue. But not Linds. Homegirl is a genius and can pretty much master anything she sets her mind on, and she has such deeply rooted convictions and is one of those people who has absolutely no problem living a life that is in full consonance with those beliefs. No dichotomies for her. She's good at weeding them. Anyway, I deeply admire her and am now also thinking about what my beliefs are and how my life does not reflect them in many regards. Like sustainable living.
So I guess my first "challenge" to myself is going to be with materialism. I've decided I'm scaling back completely on shopping and instead am going to take over my student loans which my parents were previously shouldering and if there is anything left over after that, I'm saving it.
This is my first step.
But I know there is much more that I need to do.
Seriously, watch out with who you pick as friends. They might actually make you grow and stuff.
Case in point. My friend Jennifer Chun (who I affectionately refer to as Jenny, Jenny from the block, or J Money) has started her own little green movement. Movement might be an overstatement. But every week she takes on a new green challenge and then blogs about how this has a positive impact on the environment, or how the uncurbed behavior has a negative impact, and then blogs her progress in that challenge. So now everytime I blow dry my hair or eat a burger, I feel guilty. The problem with me is that I've learned to live with guilt. Which means I can feel guilty about something and not necessarily stop doing it. This I am trying to change. Which means I need to stop eating burgers? God, I hope not.
Then my friend Lindsey McPherson decided to pack up everything she and her husband own and completely change her life in order to make sure her actions are coherent with her beliefs. This means that a former San Antonio-residing-school teacher who's lived in Texas her whole life and until a few years ago considered heating up a bowl of Cambell's soup cooking, is now going to be a farmer. Yes, that's right. A full-fledged farmer. She and the hubs are headed to Kentucky and will be running a full-time farm and educational outreach program to teach youth about sustainable living, diet, etc. If anyone else were undertaking to do this I would be horrified for the epic failure that I would be sure was about to ensue. But not Linds. Homegirl is a genius and can pretty much master anything she sets her mind on, and she has such deeply rooted convictions and is one of those people who has absolutely no problem living a life that is in full consonance with those beliefs. No dichotomies for her. She's good at weeding them. Anyway, I deeply admire her and am now also thinking about what my beliefs are and how my life does not reflect them in many regards. Like sustainable living.
So I guess my first "challenge" to myself is going to be with materialism. I've decided I'm scaling back completely on shopping and instead am going to take over my student loans which my parents were previously shouldering and if there is anything left over after that, I'm saving it.
This is my first step.
But I know there is much more that I need to do.
Seriously, watch out with who you pick as friends. They might actually make you grow and stuff.
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