Grandmother Earth

I know, most refer to her as Mother Earth but in relation to me, I see her as a great-great...(add number of "greats" here as you desire)-grandmother and refer to her simply as "grandmother" when we have our little chats.

Having OCD, I'm an all or nothing sort of person. Finding "balance" in my life is...difficult. When it comes to walking my talk, I see myself as a failure. I know I am not doing all I can or should when it comes to respecting and caring for the earth.

The great Pacific garbage patch is a very vivid reminder that we must all do better.

I gave up keeping plastic bottles of water for my guests a while ago and also started using a reusable water bottle for myself. I think it's a good start.

I have been appalled to learn of so many people using plastic cups and utensils and styrofoam plates for all their meals because washing dishes is just too much trouble. Even on picnics, they don't bother using paper plates and cups which are biodegradable and renewable.

Though I have no children of my own, I still see the earth as a gift that we all must share. That includes taking into account the needs of future generations even if they are not my own children (we are all related in some distant way!).

I tend to think of the amount of waste something creates when deciding on what changes to make in my life. I eat three or four meals a day so the waste associated with that activity seems to account for a lot of the garbage I produce so I use reusable plates, cup, and utensils and wash them instead of creating more landfill.

This morning I was lighting some citronella incense after some mosquitoes had already raised a few whelps on my legs and realized another simple change I could make. No more butane lighters.

I see no convenience that I can not live without by using matches instead. They're not as convenient as a butane lighter and I have to be careful when putting them out but they shouldn't wind up in the great Pacific garbage patch like so many lighters have.

Since I don't smoke cigarettes, it's not as big an issue for me as some but I do use lighters a lot. After those I have are finished, I will try not to use them anymore.

I have to wonder what long-term affects this plastic sewage will have on our environment. It may take a long time before it works it's way up the food chain into our systems. The studies of affects on our health and genetics are probably a much longer way off.

And yes, I use re-usable bags at the store instead of plastic ones. My three little contributions to a reduction in the great Pacific garbage patch. Baby steps...

1) Ignorance
2) Awareness
3) Action

Simple is 1 2 3...