Sunday, December 21, 2008

Christmas Shopping...er Christmas Plasticking

So Christmas shopping is a challenge when you don't want to buy plastic. I will full-on admit that I stepped into Lindt chocolates yesterday and forgot all of my plastic-averse ways. I bought two bags of truffles, each individually wrapped in plastic. I know. Terrible! But SO delicious.

On the plus side, I really limited the number of bags I used and almost all were paper.

Today, I remembered to take my reusable shopping bag to the bookstore. It really helped with carrying the books home! And hopefully balanced out my intense plastic waste yesterday when my mom and I stopped for a shopping treat of Thai food in the mall food court....served up on plastic.

Having emerged from exams, I'm bracing for re-entry into the plastic-reductionist's world. I know that my own work in just a few months has touched other people - friends and roommates and even my parents - who now tell me about the plastic they are reducing. Even if these people (and, honestly, even if I) cannot fully eliminate plastic, being conscious and at least reducing is a step in the right direction.

I think my revised goal (based on the October intensity) will be 3 or fewer pieces of plastic per day. I know that's not likely to satisfy the plastic blogosphere, but I used to be a teacher, and we like to set attainable goals. If that starts to feel too easy, I can push it down. The one piece per day thing was not attainable for me without elimination of meat and dairy and somewhat unhealthy obsessions and feelings of guilt. I will try again at 3. Starting on January 1.

Happy Holidays!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Out from Under the Rock

I haven't posted in awhile, and there are a few reasons for that. First, I've been incredibly busy. It's the end of the semester, and apparently I have to actually write papers and stuff. Who knew? Plus my two jobs. Plus trying to find a real job for after graduation. It's a tricky time. Second, with the holidays, there have been lots of things to do besides blog...like go eat turkey and attend holiday festivities. And third, well, I haven't been doing a very good un-plastic job.

In part my plastic woes stem from reason #1 above. I know my plastic-blogging colleagues would be ashamed because the "I'm too busy" argument is their least favorite. I agree -- you make time for what you want to have time to do. However, there is a point after which I truly do have to decide between using the occasional plastic and finishing my work for school. School wins. I've decided to try again once I'm done with my exams. Maybe one day I'll be superhuman enough to do both at the same time, but for now I'm just taking it one day at a time.

On an unrelated note, I've been having quite an existential crisis lately. The more my friends get engaged, married, and become parents, the more my life choices become apparent. It's not that I don't respect the formation of families -- I do! -- and I hope to have one too one day. It's just that I'm so not there yet. I'm happy with where I am in life. It's just that the difference becomes more apparent when I really think about the reality of their life vs. the reality of mine. I wonder sometimes what it's like to let a tiny human be the center of your life. Although, I guess 50,000 small (and medium sized and almost grown) humans already are the center of mine (the students of DCPS).