Green Guilt
Guilt is a motivator i want no part of. There are lots of
better ways to live that doesn't put one in a gloomy funk.
If we are working towards sustainability and worrying about
all the conflicts in our behavior it soon gets tiring.
So here is my way of approaching guilt:
1. Build the best model of an ideal lifestyle possible
and continuously improve on this model. Do not go
into denial or rationalize behavior.
2. Accept that you can never reach a changing goal of
sustainability or move very far ahead of the
culture you are immersed in.
3. Do something. Any small act helps one feel
good and cancels feelings of guilt. It can seem
insignificant but if it moves us forward that is
enough.
It may be that a small act really isn't small. For example,
the act of adding a wind chime to our house does two things:
1. It reminds us of the natural world when we hear it. This
gives a small connected feeling that is probably too small
to measure most of the time.
2. It adds a small pleasure to our life that replaces all the
messages which say consumption is fun. It competes with
all the passive entertainment which has fantasies about
wealth and other cultural values.
This one act of adding a wind chime won't make much difference,
but a few hundred acts like this soon become difficult to ignore.
For this to work, we just keep on keeping on.
Here are some other ideas to consider:
* Add a scented plant to our living space.
* Add a flowering plant
* Fish tank
* Schedule a look at the next full moon
* Schedule a walk days in advance
* Add something to the house with a pattern in it
* Look for something colorful in nature to bring inside.
* Collect, share, trade, or plant some seeds.
* Look for activities in well lighted (sun) areas.
* Make a list of all the times you were at peace with
the world and ask why?
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Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
