Naptime Thoughts.

Here's what I don't get. Many of my friends and family are critical of sustainable living. Even the word "recycling" sends them into a fit of laughter. The term "reduce, reuse and recycle" doesn't send me into fits. It's calming to me. Do you know how wasteful we are as a country? It's so sad. The things we throw away could support a second family in other areas of this world. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - this doesn't just mean turning off the lights when you leave the room.

• Turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth.

• Select "small load" on your washing machine; you'll only use less water.

• Serve yourself half a portion.

• Stop buying toys that use so much packaging and give your kids a cardboard box to play in. Their imaginations will thank you later.
  

• Use the other side of your note paper.

• Turn off the lights, period. The girls and I don't turn the lights on during the day unless it's actually dark in the room. If I'm not mistaken, natural light used to be a pretty common occurrence.

• Save the other half of your lunch for tomorrow.

• Drink a glass of (tap) water before you eat. You might actually HAVE half your lunch left over.

• Buy local. It's not just cheaper and less wasteful; it builds community and gives you a sense of pride in the place you call home.

• Accept hand-me-downs. Give hand-me-downs.

• Stop being so prideful. Is it really so awful to watch TV on that same small set you've had for years? Do you REALLY need a flat-screen? Do you honestly need to DVR anything? Do you need two computers? Is a cell phone upgrade really necessary at the two-year mark? Do you want new shoes, or need new shoes? Couldn't you possibly use the same purse with multiple outfits?
  

• Get outside and MOVE. We get out for walks whenever possible. That means we're not eating mindlessly in front of the TV, we're setting a good example for our kids, we're laughing and talking together and the house is dark. All very good things.

• Put some clothes on and turn down the heat. I'm working on this one.

I'm driven insane by the fact that people are wasteful and thoughtless. There's something wrong with living in a world where you're cozy with a bowl of ice cream in front of the TV while your fellow humans in other places are starving and freezing.
Isn't a less wasteful lifestyle a moral matter than anything else? To be honest, I often question a person's values when I see the amount of stuff they have and the waste they perpetuate. Somewhere in the Bible, God gave us dominion over the Earth. What this means to me is that we not only control what we use, but how we use it and what we do with it when we're finished. Our Earth is a gift to us. Sure, some people really do take it a tad too far, but I'd rather they were putting their energy there than spending time rearranging their fantasy football lineup.

And now I'll step off my soapbox. (Which, was, of course, manufactured for another use. Pat on the back.)