teh fortune cookie

I’m pretty lucky.

I won’t lie.

I’ve always had food on the table and a roof over my head.

I’ve never felt like I wanted something that was completely out of reach.

I’ve also never been extremely materialistic.

Back in junior high, when I started buying “things,” they were CDs and lotions from Bath and Body Works (which I am only using, once in a blue moon due to toxic ingredients and harmful chemical agents that may cause cancer and other crap).

Never did I purchase clothes or shoes for “the looks” — but rather, for practicality.

High school came around and I indulged in good eats.

I believe that food is imperative to human survival and that if it’s something we must do, why not do it well?

In moderation, of course.

And here I am, today.

In college, going to graduate in May.

On a side note, I’m going to live back at home for a year, when I’m done.

Regardless, all these years of school…

was for that moment.

That moment when I got my job offer on Nov 5th! And then another — a week later.

We go to school to get a job, so we can afford “things” and live comfortably.

I’m not going to deny that.

However, it doesn’t mean that I have to be wasteful.

It doesn’t mean that I don’t or won’t care about the world that I live in.

Something has come over me and I feel the need to be “green.”

So being fortunate does not mean that I’m going to take things for granted.

I have never been that way, and even knowing that money will be at my foot next year, I will not start.

With the year ending, comes a time for a New Year’s Resolution.

An easy way to get in the habit of doing something for a whole year, or longer.

I’ve never been one to do these things, but coincidentally, I feel strongly about my footprint; thus, my New Year’s Resolution:

• Continue recycling - where possible.
• Build a compost heap to eliminate taking out garbage to once per 2 weeks.
• Invest in natural candles (replacement).
• Invest in growing plants in my living space (rhododendrons, lillies, etc — to purify the air)
• Invest in biodegradable products such as potato utensils.
• Invest in a water purifier like Brita to eliminate water bottle consumption.
• Invest in a Nalgene HDPE water bottle for continual use.
• Invest in products like Method’s cleaning supplies (soap, bathroom cleaner, etcetera), as opposed to Bath and Body Works’ antibacterial soap, Windex, and Clorox Wipes)
• Working towards bmo cloth shopping bags instead of paper and plastic.

Of course, this list is non-exhaustive. As I find more do-able things, I’ll continually add them. But currently, these are the major ones for me.

It’s not some small change.

It’s a transformation.

A lifestyle.