By Marie Brown January 18, 2010
Perhaps it’s because I’m entering the ‘thicker’ part of my mid-life years that I find more time to care. In my twenties the drive to acquire and achieve collided with failure in just about every attempt as I found with each passing year just how little I knew. Over and again it seemed circumstances culminated to shine the spotlight on the previous year’s ignorance. Once year 30 rolled around I was at least able to fully accept I didn’t know everything. This was a tremendous help. It meant that I had regained my ability and desire to learn. Now in my forties, though I still have a fair amount of trouble listening (a real deterrent to learning); I find I’m more eager than ever to test the boundaries holding my comfort zones in place.
Satisfaction is the name of the game. Light infiltrates the cracks of my opening mind and I discover all kinds of things. Frightening reports of the earth’s destruction via plastic bottles, methane gasses, and corn over-consumption are just the beginning. I begin to feel anxious wondering what can possibly be done to change the current status to anything better.
After mulling this around for several months I found myself making small decisions based on bits of information stuck in my memory. Going out on a limb and not buying fabric softener when usually I’d purchase a new batch on auto pilot having run out of the previous bottle. Fabric softener is not only toxic to our oceans as it’s used and pumped through our sewage systems, but it’s highly toxic to the wearers of the softened apparel. Children are most susceptible to disease through exposure to fabric softener as their brain and organs are not fully developed, highly ironic given our children are the ones we generally want the softness for. In that moment the softness of my clothing meant less to me than the welfare of the earth’s oceans and my family’s health. Since then the makers of fabric softener have had to live without my monetary endorsement of their false advertising and overall irresponsible behavior.
This same activity has perpetuated itself in my life throughout the past few years. All product ingredients are quickly reviewed to rule out the purchase of parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and other commonly sold toxins where household soaps, personal hygiene, and cosmetic products are concerned. Until recently, I’d allowed myself the ‘luxury’ of using bleach to really clean and whiten what desperately needed cleaning and whitening. Just today I learned bleach is the number one common denominator linking to breast cancer in women; looks like bleach is on its way out.
Of course, change has a way of rippling through our lives. One move leads to another as we make our ways up the ladder of knowledge, receiving constant open invitations to greater heights.
Last week my oldest daughter sat in the dining room and thanked me for switching our family to whole grains. She went on to praise me for not buying sugary cereals and processed snacks. By the time she got to how my disapproval of fast food had positively impacted her personal choices, we were both smiling with gratitude and esteem for each other. You see, I never forced the issue in my family. I did advise however, that if I was the designated shopper, these were the selections I was going to make. If anyone in the household wanted anything further, they’d have to pay for it themselves. Every time my teenagers had a couple of bucks on them they’d run to 7 Eleven for a bag of chips and a Slurpee! I persisted with my personally satisfying choices nonetheless.
Our food choices have gotten more and more selective over the years. I find myself being encouraged by all members of my family to stay on this path; we all participate and share information as we learn it. Overall I continue to discover how increased simplicity leads to greater satisfaction.
I believe every dollar we spend is a vote for something, and these votes count for much more than our votes at the ballot box every few years. Within a capitalist society I find it reasonable to hold ourselves accountable for each choice our dollars spent represent. The only way for us to ensure our very freedom, and maybe freedom and peace throughout this global economy, is to exercise responsibility to the fullest extent of our knowledge where spending is concerned. Were your pants made by a child in a third world country making two dollars at the end of a dangerous 16 hour day? Do they really look THAT good on you? If low cost is a factor, are they still THAT good of a deal? Even at the cost of a poverty stricken child?
It’s not about perfection, but it is about reflection. I know that for many Americans too much time is already spent on survival over enjoyment; I raise my hand for landing in the survival category more often than not. What if we bowed out of the rat race just long enough to discover what we can live without? Without a healthy earth and body what good is time saved anyway? And what of the money spent to ‘save’ time? Who’s creating the need for us to be so busy surviving and spending?
We American Consumers are a very powerful bunch. Unfortunately we’ve been passive; believing that what the corporations have to sell us is for our benefit and convenience. They claim to have sold us everything we wanted over the past fifty years, while introducing tens of thousands of never before used toxic chemicals into everything from toilet cleaner to lipstick. Cancer rates have sky rocketed. Fifty years ago a woman’s overall risk for breast cancer was 1 in 20, now it’s 1 in 8. I’m not sure white grout or shiny floors are worth it. Did we really choose this? I don’t think so. Are we choosing this now? Judging from what’s stocked on the aisles at all the big box stores, I’d have to answer yes. Women typically purchase and use more household cleaning products and cosmetics. The math is glaringly obvious to me.
Last year high fructose corn syrup accounted for twenty percent of the American diet. Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in adults and children, and yet we’re still providing Lucky Charms to our children for breakfast, and consuming ninety nine cent double hamburgers and slamming sodas like its actual food.
Look, I’m sure I’ll continue to swing through a fast food establishment every once in a while. I still have half a bottle of bleach to use up before committing to not purchasing another; and I’ll buy toilet paper made from non recycled product when in a pinch. But now, as purchases generally go, I’ll spend more for cage, antibiotic, and hormone free chickens and eggs because I want to support responsible and sustainable ranching to the best of my ability. I’ll vote for no MSG or Nitrates in my food every time. Enriched white pasta, rice and bread (except for the occasional sour dough treat) are out, whole grains are in. It’s not a sweeping commitment. Every lasting change we’ve made started with baby steps and a willingness to experiment with something new and potentially better for us than what we’d grown used to.
Here’s to responsible spending in our capitalist system! Health and power to the people!