What quote am I vibing? "E hele me ka pu’olo" – (Always Take An Offering With You. Make Every Person Place or Condition Better Than You Left It Always. Wherever You Go, Always Take Something With You.) Hawaiian Proverb
Pounds of Trash Removed from the Wild since Last Post: 34
Pounds of Trash Removed from the Wild in 2021: 34
All-Time Pounds of Trash Removed from the Wild: 2400
E hele me ka pu'olo. In other words, leave it better than you found it. This is a good mindset for the new year. In 2022, we will leave everything better than we found it - that can't be hard, right? 😝
The first week of 2022 was mostly spent trying to use as little water as possible in my home, while navigating a wastewater drainage issue in my community. Honestly, as inconvenient as it sometimes was, it was a good reminder that we generally USE much more than we NEED.
It was also an interesting study in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. As long as I wasn't guaranteed a completely cleansing shower, I wasn't willing to put in the sweaty work of trash pick-ups. I don't know what to do with this information. I don't know if I was right in wrong for feeling that way. But I do know it is something I'll continue to think about. It will also help to frame the way I understand the plight of the unhoused, and those who are struggling to pay basic bills. It is difficult to achieve lofty goals when we don't feel physically comfortable.
The week of parking lot stink, as unsavory as it was, did happen to be bookended by some great cleanups, so we start the year, a week in - 34 pounds towards our 1,000 pound goal. Not too shabby! I hope we can continue to improve the spaces we occupy, and empathize with, and love each other.
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