I will continue to stress
As I progress
This is my process,
What works best for me.
I've discovered,
Information which best helps evoke change is,
Education, Exposure & Awareness,
These key elements
Have fueled my decision
Putting me
On the path of
Waste Reduction.
Being an Environmentalist,
By no means
Fully defines,
Who I am
However,
It is a primary driving force,
Which strongly permeates to help
Best
Articulate My izness.
I was born in a Log Cabin,
My mom built,
I learned how to drive-
In a Landfill,
And my middle name-
Azura = Blue Skies...
So-
Here I am.
Ghetto Granola
If I had to wait for things to be perfect-
I'd never get anything done.
Thus -
"Personalized Not Perfected"
Mom & I would sign off our conversations-
"Have a perfect day"
In that
Was an understanding,
"Perfect"
Was not beauty,
Dotted i'or crossed t's,
Nor sunshine and rainbows
With bunnies kissing our toes.
It was simply,
An Ease in understanding,
Whatever happens
Is
As it should be,
An opportunity
To practice finding lightness
In this whole big wide World
With all the nuance
That makes it
Imperfectly
Precisely
"Perfect"
I fall,
I fail
And enjoy
Finding freedom
In all of that.
After I sometimes,
Beat myself
I'm able to see life's
Flaws,
Scrapes,
Bumps &
Bruises
As a part of the rollercoaster
Journey,
The Artistry.
My mom was a bit of a Renaissance lady.
She was good at everything she did,
And could fix anything.
A cut,
A hem,
An Essay,
A heartache.
It used to bother me,
Or rather,
Hopefully
Encourage patience,
I would watch her get excited,
By the next grand endeavor.
(Because she could do it all)
And I loved that about her.
What has been left behind,
Articles of her presence,
I have picked up,
And made my own.
These are gifts
She has bestowed to me.
The typewriter I use
...Hers...
Fabric in masks
String for labels
Sewing Machine
Thread
Needles
Patterns
Clothes.
...Hers, hers, hers...
I surround myself in her,
To move thru this World
So she can continue to see me.
To say 'everything I do is for her',
Seems such a simplistic nod.
It is actually
So much larger than that.
Everything I do
Is an expression
Of the gratitude for
This life I have,
That she was the conduit of
Into which
All is possible-
For me.
And this journey,
This business,
My business-
A means to marry
My Eco-Conscious Mindset,
With her everlasting presence
To honor her
Is an absolute joy
For me
To Share
With You.
The vision-
My Five Year Plan
Is local Farmers Markets.
On site Repairs,
Shop local,
Small batch,
Locally sourcing Ethical,
Ecological,
Wholesale
Without the need to be shipped.
(Los Angeles is a blessing in this sense)
Raw Materials,
Massaged into
"Products w/ a Purpose"
My goal is to create a space,
To supply Products by means of
Restoration
Reduction
Reuse
Repair
Using Ethically Sourced Materials.
Understanding
*Current circumstances excluded*
We are in extraordinary times,
Of a Pandemic,
Unaware what a lot looks like,
On the other side.
We acclimate,
Adjust,
At any given time
In a myriad of ways.
Because there is no exact science
No straight line,
Black and White
Definition
Reason
For Lifes trajectory.
Zero Waste may not be realistic for many,
Try as I might,
I am no where close,
It would be ideal,
But require
A complete overhaul
Of my current living situation.
However,
People do it- And
Waste Reduction IS possible,
Applying a few adjustments,
Is attainable for many.
I use to think that consumers
Drove Commerce thru Purchasing Power,
Which is true,
To some extent,
But without support from legislation,
Large scale,
Ecological Enlightenment
Towards a Paradigm shift,
On a massive scale
Just seems a bit unrealistic.
The supply and demand chain will not prioritze
Ecological options,
Until it becomes
Economically incentivized.
In my experience being Eco Conscious
Does not coincide with
Being elite,
Or privileged.
That is an easy sell,
A pretty picture.
We need to remember
But a lot of Whole Foods Shoppers,
May disagree.
...
Water is free,
But what we are being sold
Is the packaging.
What are you buying?
Thinking needs to shift.
Any 'normal' day shopping trip for me,
Seems like a Pokemon game challenge.
I try to find items taking an extra moment,
To broaden my scope by scanning products-
Opting rather for glass, than plastic
Seeking containers which can be
Composted,
Reused,
Upcycled,
Recycled:
Relish-glass,
Mustard-glass
Honey-glass
Etc.
This is by no means a template for a perfect system
100% success rate.
I'd rather steal a Heinz 57 jar of ketchup from a restaurant
Than buy a $1.99 Plastic Squeeze bottle,
Leaving us without ketchup for 6 weeks,
Cause I couldn't bring myself to cave...
I am not perfect.
I take a glance to my kitchen counter,
And quickly easily see 5 plastic containers,
(Which have been around for a while)
Or are deal breakers with my boyfriend.
Paprika, Red Vines, Coffee Creamer, Vitamins.
...
We all have different priorities.
...
I understand there are way bigger battles to fight.
So at this point in my life,
I am specifically focused on items
In which-
I have a choice.
Waste reduction
Is no straight line,
No perfect science,
There is no need to
Be exact or shamed
For choices-
We are HUMAN
Priorities shift on any given day
In this modern active
Fast paced lifestyle.
It can be easy to get overwhelmed,
So more importantly
Be kind,
To yourself,
To each other,
To this Beautiful Planet
Purchasing Priorities (For Me)
Go something like this-
Item
1-Container
2-Health
3-Cost
*Cost and health are on a sliding scale depending*
But container often sweeps.
Ringing Pretty True Inspiring and Driving Me Right Now
...
Destiny is A Choice Not Chance
By: Drew McElhare
A sweeping persuasive speech
Coupled with
Henry David Thoreau
"I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings. In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
Comments