Trashing Paradise

Jennifer says: This is a short article of mine that was published in the Bahamas National Trust Newsletter a while back.

I took this picture in Freeport, but it could've been taken anywhere in the Bahamas. By now, we've all heard about Global Warming, carbon footprints and the effects pollution has on our environment. Yet we still continue to ruin our home. And ultimately, our health. I'm trying to understand why.

Are we lazy? Ignorant of the outcome? Don't care? I don't think those are the reasons, in most cases. I think maybe it's because we don't feel that there is a big impact from just our actions. After all, it's just a cup that we've thrown out of the car window. It's just a couple of soda cans we've left at the beach. Take another look at the picture. And remember, this is a small area. For every item of trash you see, someone thought "it's just one..." Just one plastic bottle that won't break down for centuries. Just one aluminum can that could cut a child's foot. Just one piece of plastic that could kill an endangered sea turtle. Except that the "just one" has turned into a lot. Our "Beautiful Bahama Land". Full of trash. We become outraged at the thought of a tourist, a visitor, to our island - our home - littering. How dare they come here and do this? But the fact is, we're trashing our own backyard. Take a walk along any street and look down. Next time you go to the beach, check it out. Really see it for what it is - a mess. Now think about this. What if we thought of "it's just one" in a different way? What if instead of leaving one soda can at the beach, we took one? Now take it further. What if each time we took a walk or went to the beach, we recycled one small plastic bag from the food store and filled it with trash we picked up. Imagine the impact that would have if everyone did it. Now you can see how one person's actions do have a big impact. It's up to you if it’s good or bad. Photo & article by Jennifer Campbell

Monday's Quote

"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving and that's your own self."

Aldous Huxley

What a week

Jennifer says: I had another theme in mind for this week’s article, but given the recent events I’ve changed my mind.

I think most of us get caught up in our own little worlds, basking in our success and wallowing in our own little miseries. I’m especially guilty of the wallowing part these past two weeks. It’s been bitterly cold and I’ve been “suffering” trying to keep warm. And the job… yeah, wow. But anyway, as I contemplate how miserable my life is at the moment, breaking news of the disaster in Haiti comes. I read the online articles and click with stunned amazement at the first images being posted. The thought that comes to mind is “oh my God”. I forget the petty issues that I’ve let take up way too space in my head. I look at the massive piles of now unidentifiable buildings and the look of anguish on the few people scattered in the photographs. I think to myself, what would I do in that situation? How would I take care of my sons? Where would we go for shelter, food, clean water? I cannot fully comprehend what it would be like to be stuck in the middle of such destruction. And I hope to God that my family never finds out. Pretty soon after the earth quake news breaks, it’s announced that we are now under a Tsunami watch. Its night time, we’re on a pretty flat island. That’s a scary thought. But thankfully, the announcement also says it’s not likely we will be hit with one. Then morning comes once again and we’re all still safe. By now a lot of the stories are about the aid efforts being set up and how they plan to get items to the most needy. One in particular strikes me, Yele Haiti. The article is about how the donations are adding up very quickly, especially the ones set up through texting on a cell phone. Yele Haiti is one of these. They ask you to text a code and a $5.00 charge will appear on your cell phone bill (in the States). Five dollars, it impresses me that they only ask for a $5 donation. Some of the ads for other charities that I see ask for $20 a month – no offense meant. I think the $5 strategy is brilliant. I think most people will not hesitate to give $5 to help people in this situation. I think many people stop to think about $20, especially in this economy. As a result, Yele Haiti has raised an incredible amount of money in less than 24 hours since the news broke. So this morning, I find the website and read a little more about it. Although I had already made up my mind to make a donation. Online they have a donation page where you can choose the amount to give, so I typed in my amount and pressed enter. Immediately I felt a sense of satisfaction in that I, in a small way, helped someone who really needs it. Imagine how much could be accomplished if everyone gave five or ten dollars. Or unused clothes, anything to help someone else. I believe there’s always enough to give a couple dollars to a worthy cause. It’s amazing that when you really believe there’s always enough to give - that there really is enough to give.

Monday's Quote

Freedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose.

Anything less is a form of slavery.

Wayne Dyer

Today is the day for surprises

Susan says: It’s the New Year now and I have been tossing around all the ideas of stuff to write about. Lots of good stuff comes up, but never when I’m near the keyboard… but I can say that it is always because I am busy with the business of living. Having a great time by the way. Trying to be joyously spontaneous. Or spontaneously joyful. One of those.

So one of the things I’m doing this weekend is tidying up – majorly. That includes my desk drawers. The other day when I was noticing that I needed to add “tidy up desk drawers” to my list, my son suggested that desk drawers should not ever be tidied. They should be kept as disorganized as possible so that you can continue to be surprised by whatever you may find lurking in the back corners. I had to think about that for a good two days before it came to me that you don’t discover the surprises until you actually do the tidying up. So that has been the spirit of the first few days of this year. Fresh start and all that. And I am discovering lots of great surprises.

Like it takes me 12 minutes to run a mile. Now that may seem slow to many of you. But it was a real surprise to me that I could even continue to run for an entire mile. Damn! And all because I tidied up. I mean, I did the work. Eight weeks ago I could not have run for 3 minutes. But I have committed to running this marathon in February and so I have been running regularly to train for it and now I can see that I can run a mile in 12 minutes. Surprise!

AND if I put my mind to it, I can finish all the laundry, fold it all and put it away and it doesn’t have to take the whole day. Surprise! And also, my son will not die and I will not die, if I don’t do his laundry for him. He can do his laundry himself. Surprise! He actually can! I’ve seen him!

AND even though I didn’t put anything out for dinner, I can just use what we have in the fridge and still make an edible dinner. In fact, a bowl of cheerios would have done just as nicely. My husband even liked it. Surprise!

AND you can have enough income and assets, have your documents and agreements and estimates, have all your little ducks in a nice, even row and the bank can still say no. Surprise! Lucky for me I’m so clever. I will find another way.

AND at the back of my desk drawer, I found many great surprises, among them, my stash of two dollar bills and my Chicago drivers license from 1989 (why do I even still have that??) Anyway, it has a great picture of me when I was just 24 years old. I had perfect porcelain skin. It was nice to remember that.

Yes, it’s been a pretty cool first few days…

Monday's Quote

Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. Anais Nin

Joy and Spontaneity

Photo by Jennifer Campbell

Jennifer says: We all know the question: what came first, the chicken or the egg? Today, the first day of the year, I’m contemplating which comes first: does joy lead to spontaneity, or does being spontaneous lead to joy?

This question came about as I was reading over my note books; I keep several, and other blogs and online newsletters I follow. The overall theme of each one was New Year’s resolutions and how to keep them. I must confess that my new year’s resolutions have been essentially the same for the past four years or so. That’s a bummer. Not only are they the same year after year, but I’m pretty much in the same spot as I was four years ago. Stagnant is not how I want to be. In one of the articles I read, the author actually does not suggest setting resolutions, at least in the traditional sense. Her advice is more like concentrating on the things one would like to accomplish and the type of person one wishes to become. I like this.

So I’ve decided my version of this is to set a theme for the year, instead of the same list of resolutions. As I think about this, I remember recent conversations I’ve had with the people who are important to me and my decision to accept invitations. I also think about this blog and some of the other steps, albeit small, I’ve taken in the direction of a deliberate life. All of these recollections have something in common. They’ve all brought me joy in some way, in some degree. The actions I’ve taken with various projects have brought me joy through a sense of accomplishment. The invitations have brought me joy through the experience of the event and the people I’ve shared it with. Joy is a choice, I finally get that now.

During my deep and meaningful reflection (smile), I hear two of my sons in the living room. They’re playing video games. Then, I guess when the game is finished; one of them says they should go play basketball. So they shut off the game, get their socks and shoes, pick up the ball and go. Just like that. No thought. No planning. They just go. Then it hits me – duh! It’s so simple. Being spontaneous is a big part of making joy in one’s life. Gee, like accepting invitations without thinking about it…

I generally get stuck in the planning, of everything. To the point where I plan things to death and end up doing very little. I wait for the perfect time, which rarely comes. Or when I’m not tired. Or tomorrow… I’m not suggesting that planning things to some degree isn’t a good thing, but when the planning takes over the doing, it’s gone too far.

So, I’ve decided that my theme for this year is “Joy & Spontaneity”. Whatever that means at the time: bouncing on my trampoline, working on the writing course I’ve been trying to finish for longer than I care to admit, taking a walk, painting my nails purple, really learning how to use my “new” camera that I’ve had for like a year and a half, staring at the trees outside my bedroom window. Whatever I decide will bring me joy.

The thing about choosing joy is that it spills over. When I’m happy, I’m easier to be around, which makes other people feel good and maybe they’re easier for others to be around. This is good.

So I end my article with hopes of success in whatever you’re choosing to do: New Year’s resolutions, intentions, themes or just living in the moment.

Best wishes to you all.