|
One Morning
By: Janine Johnson
I woke up this morning feeling a little
under the weather. It seemed as if the air
in the room was a bit stale ... I started
thinking about our Indoor Air Quality (IAQ
--both abbreviation and lingo from the
courses I took to become an EcoBroker). The
IAQ has been something I have been wanting
to get the house tested for in our efforts
to go green. I have nearly convinced myself
over the last few days that I am not getting
well due to poor IAQ.
|
Photo By:
macspite |
So I walked out of the bedroom to borrow the
air purifier, which is ultra modern, a
SkyMall buy, and with the same shape as some
of our vases in the entertaining room --a
perfect fit.
To my horror as I entered the entertaining
room, I see our gardener just finishing up
spraying the landscaping. Our gardener
smiles and waves. It's too late ...it was
quite the big "Oh maaaaaannnnnn..." moment
for me.
I ask Ken, my boyfriend/significant other,
what's going on ... "Oh I didn't understand
what he was saying to me this morning, I'm
sorry honey". Our gardener has been in the
States for twenty years but still has a
strong accent.
I am the green consultant for Ken's home. I
have collaborated to video blog the endeavor
with my good friend, May Hsu aka Green &
Gorgeous and a fellow EcoBroker. Ken is part
of the band, The Crystal Method, so we are
calling the greening of his home, Project
Green Method. She released the first video
blog on Sunday. So on some level, I feel
like I have failed; I let this environmental
atrocity happen on my watch.
I'm bothered, DEEPLY. Day by day I
seem to become more and more aware
of the interconnections between
daily actions and our environment.
Poison is not ok. Gasoline powered
leaf blowers, like the one I am
realizing I woke up to ...NOT ok. |
I had to breathe through these feelings.
There was nothing I could do to reverse what
just happened ... there is only what I can
do now --move forward.
The first thing I did was voice my concern
and I was supported. That's always a good
start :) But here's the thing. ... do we
find a new gardener or do we try to teach an
old gardener new tricks?
I am the founder of a non-profit called
Green Wave Enterprises, or "Green Wave". I
feel it is our responsibility to teach
people, especially if we were the ones who
originally empowered the individual in their
current function. I also believe that we
should support green companies, those that
are starting off right. So the dilemma is
this ... do we give up on people and hire
new, inspired people or do we give the
original people an opportunity to adapt
--people who have been loyal for a long
time?
The motto for my company, Green Wave is,
"living examples for a sustainable future";
directly inspired from Ghandi's quote "Be
the change you wish to see in the world". If
I want change .. if I want people to be
educated ...I must be that person--meaning
... I am already the person self-educating
myself about what's going on in the world.
If I want to see change now, I might be the
person that needs to speak up to those
around me. So often I feel people run away
for what they may consider a better option.
Some people become ex-patriots to in hopes
of a better life instead of trying to change
a system --I feel that's easier. And I'm not
trying to pass judgment so much as express
that what is true in my life is that I wish
to see people evolve. I want to see our
culture evolve, I want to see all cultures
evolve. For that to happen we need people to
speak up, lead, teach. A few conversations
with my gardener might not be going up
against a formal system such as a
government, but it does take guts and so I
decided this morning this is the route I
must take..
I feel pretty adamant about supporting green
businesses but I also do not want to see us
leave people behind. We should give people
the opportunity to adapt because if we at
least do that then it's on them ... and I
have to feel this way ... as passionate I
feel about the environment and doing my part
... I am still adapting and I don't want
anyone giving up on me.
I believe strongly that all change starts
within yourself. It is our actions, be it
changes made in our daily lives that "show",
or conversations you have with the people
around you that will provide the seeds for
change.
I hope to show in my blogs a style that is
sincere and sympathetic. There will be times
where I speak strongly about one thing or
another, but really ...we are all the same,
some at different levels but still the same
...everyone has room for improvement. I will
showcase this through personal story blogs,
investigative blogs ... and what I hope to
highlight is our inter-connection to all
things ...how we can do our part by just
thinking, and then acting. So I sign off
with this little motivating phrase from my
ex-cheerleading days :) "Go green go!" |
