Tuesday, February 25, 2025

More about stuff and The Activist's Credo

I realized something recently, as I have continued to mentally peruse my belongings and wonder what to do with them all.

Possessions used to be handed down from one generation to another, sometimes for centuries.  This was partly because a lot of folks probably couldn't afford new stuff, and "Why get rid of it if it's still useful?", and "This was Great-Grandmama's, so it means a lot to my family."  Also, things used to be built to last.

Now, because tech developments and styles change so quickly and so often, a lot of products are considered old by the age of four, and are often not only no longer fresh, but completely dead.  Just trash.

I realize that not only are my nieces and nephews not going to want my treasured personal artifacts and mementos, they are also not going to want, and maybe won't even be able to use, my vast collection of DVDs and CDs.  Sweet Hubby and I have a large library of books, and fortunately they have not gone completely out of style, although they are on their way to obsolescence with the gaining popularity of e-reading.  So eventually it's all going to be landfill.  In fact, every single thing on Earth is eventually going into landfill.  And then what?

I take very seriously the 3 Rs of reduce, reuse, recycle and SH and I do our little bit, such as always taking our own reusable leftover containers to restaurants, and wearing our shoes until they have holes in them.  It's something.  Not enough, but something.  It feels as though there's no such thing as doing enough, not in any realm.  I guess I just need to stay awake and aware and keep doing what I can.

In fact, a boyfriend of mine who was a lifelong political activist made that point.  We must do what we can to address the problems of the world, and we must also live our lives with joy.  We must take action, not because we think it will make a difference but because we have to live by our own values.  The results almost never show up immediately, maybe never in our own lifetimes, but still...  

Which leads us to the activist's credo: Do what you can.  Start at home.  



1 comment:

  1. Thank you for this, Babs. We're doing what we can to pare down -- a yard sale in November, sending things to Goodwill, choosing experiences over "things." Oh, and calling and writing postcards to our representatives in Congress. xoA <3

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