Thinking Everything Over

What does it mean to be American?

Obviously many different things: let me focus. When I think of Americans, I think of overly privileged people - people who believe that they deserve anything they want if they work hard enough for it, if they can pay for it. What does it mean to be privileged? For most, I think it means being able to acquire anything one may want.

We have everything at our fingertips. We live in nice residences - even those of us apartment dwellers don't have a lot to truly complain about. Electricity, indoor plumbing, heating, A-Con, internet, cable TV. Any standard apartment here is much nicer than what most humans call "home." Almost everyone over the age of 18 owns a car. Most of us have our own computer. We have jobs and job security (not as much as of late, but still). We have extra money to go buy the clothes we want, buy decorations for our homes, get our oil changed, go out to eat, go on vacation, stay in fashion. A la mode.

We eat more and we spend less. We spend less and we accumulate more. We are surrounded by everything we think we want - and yet we still want more. What we just bought is outdated, the clothes we are wearing are so last season, Apple just came out with ANOTHER operating system?? We aren't happy and we can't buy happiness - no matter how hard we try.

We know this is the way it is, and yet we still keep trying to make it all work in the system we live in. Recently, I've become more and more informed on living ethically in a way that sustains our environment, doesn't damage my community, and promotes good business and health practices worldwide and within my own life. Our country is looking at everything completely backwards - from the way our taxes subsidize farmers to douse the least flavorful species of produce with harmful pesticides to make them gorgeous and durable for thousands of miles of travel to the way each of us individually believes that our political perspective is the most right and everyone else is WRONG (morally and ethically) to the way we drive around with road rage and eat at fast food restaurants and complain that we are gaining weight. We go to Big Box Retail or fast-food restaurants to get the best deals on the products we want, never knowing where or how the prices got lowered. You've got to know by now that, if the price is low, there is a reason for it. Either the quality is poor or someone got stepped on. We've forgotten the lessons our mothers taught us about distinguishing between our needs and our wants, and we don't care about the cost. The line is blurred, the water is murky, and we are leaving the consequences to chance, or to our children and future generations.

I'm ready for real change. I can't expect real change to come from outside and trickle down to me. I have to take this life by the reigns and retrain it. I'm about to undergo my own social and economic experiment. God help me, I'm going to do what I can to live the simple life.

I'm going off the grid. This includes driving minimally, making minimum to zero purchases at big box retail and franchises, spending more money on GOOD, HEALTHY, and LOCAL food, cooking more instead of going out to eat, and spending more time learning about the practices that promote more good than bad - not just for me, but for everyone involved. And I plan to document it all here. My goal is to live this way for a full year, picking up new traits and practices as I go, learning from those who already know, and leaving behind bad habits that my culture has handed down to me. I want help and I want feedback from anyone who can correct me when I could be doing something better.

Here are the initial rules (with more to follow, I'm sure):

No shopping retail, big box stores. No more Target, Express, Bath & Body Works, etc.

Only buying clothing that I need - and only second hand, created by local artisans, or via fair trade.

Avoiding shopping at large grocery stores - only local, co-op, organic, or homemade.

Driving only when absolutely necessary. Walking or bike riding as much as possible. Even when it gets bitterly cold.

Cooking more. Only two restaurant trips/month (for now).

Not purchasing ANYTHING unless I NEED it. And then, only second-hand and locally if at all possible.

On top of documenting this year, I plan to write short reports about topics of interest, problems our culture faces, and solutions. I'll also be adding recipes me and my husband try out and things I learn to make to replace what I would have bought. America, I'm so over your consumerism and capitalism that only benefits those at the top. But I can't blame you - it's the consumer that sets the rules. The truth is that we can all do our part to make our lives healthier, give farmers a better wage, and make sure that laborers worldwide are receiving what they deserve. On top of that, it doesn't take a lot to find out where the products you are buying come from, and if the practices used to produce them are ethical. All one really needs to do is think again. Do I need this? Is it good for me and my community? Can I make it instead of buy it? Was it produced ethically? What, if any, damage was caused to get this product to me? I'm playing with new rules. I'll think again before I buy anything this year. Wish me luck.