It's a semi-quiet Monday here on the homestead. We're expecting a couple of repairmen so Alain and I are both sitting here at the dining table on our computers. He's probably actually working. I'm just goofing off and trying to figure out how to upload photos. I think I've worked it out. I only have a few to share but I find them fitting considering my mood today and what's been occupying my thought as of late. First with the photos:
{The lovely bee balm blossoms I mentioned last week.}
{An individual blossom.}
{My garden as of last Friday. So lush & green.}
Secondly, what's on my mind....
I just finished reading "Raising Elijah" by Sandra Steingraber. I read books of this nature quite often so, although I can't say I took in a whole bunch of new information, I was still quite reassured that there are voices out there like Sandra's. And I find it comforting to know that there are other parents out there who are trying to make the right choices/decisions regarding their children to protect them from damage caused by our current environmental crisis. (I quite admire Sandra actually. I hope to read her other books in the near future.)
Then Alain comes home and shares this article with me. And I feel immediately down. I don't know how else to describe it. There are moments when I feel hope/helpless and certainly feel like all the ways I try to live my life more green don't even begin to make a dent in the big picture. To make a dent.....now that would require more people making bigger changes, raising their voices, fighting for a better world. And, please excuse me for being honest, but I guess I don't have enough faith in mankind at the moment. It wasn't that long ago that I found myself hanging out with folks whose most interesting conversations, their only conversations really, surrounded the latest reality TV shows and who silently competed with one another to acquire the latest Tory Burch shoes/bags/etc. I continuously found myself disgusted. And I'm sure I was laughed at when I mentioned that I bought something consignment, talked about my garden, mentioned my drive to not use plastic as much as possible, discussed having this tiny little lovely as my next car (once mine dies), etc. Remember that catchy little tune, "One of these things is not like the others" from Sesame Street? Well yes, I would be the one who doesn't belong with the others. Now I could care less that people might laugh at my life choices. But I do care that there seems to be so few people that care about these types of issues, who seem so oblivious to the larger environmental crisis. If it weren't for finding like-minded individuals in the blogosphere, there's no telling how much worse I might feel. So, on the eve of the birth of my second baby girl, I am trying my best to be more optimistic, to remain hopeful, to continue to look for people who do think like me, ones that I can relate to and share ideas with.
{Alain snapped this photo yesterday while I was reading the paper. 36 Weeks.}
After uploading my photos, I realized that the ones of my garden, my plants and my flowers made me feel better. I am taking as many steps as I can to make my own little world, this tiny universe I share with my family, more healthy, peaceful, joyful, sound. That's all I can do at the moment. At least I'm able to feel relief that I am doing something. Baby steps. When I look back over the years, all of those baby steps, the knowledge I've acquired slowly over time, has really added up. I'll continue to do just what I've been doing and I really hope, over time, that other people (LOTS of other people) will join in.
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