Saturday, February 23, 2013

Sitting here for 10 mins and I still don't have a title

I can't believe I'm doing this again. HI. I'm blogging again. For the first time in ages. I guess I fell off the map there for a while. Originally, when I started this blog I was very excited about making it a (somewhat) personal style blog. I guess since then I've realized personal style blogging isn't really my thing because I have too many thoughts up in this noggin to not write about them on the world wide and very public web. (I feel sorry for the secret government agent that has to track my internet history). So I guess in the midst of trying to figure out where I stand as a blobber (blogger) (thanks Tavi), as a student, as a writer, and as a human (lol unfortunately I'm serious), not blogging for a really long time seemed reasonable. But alas! Here I am again. 

I had a falling out with fashion, ironically. I still love it in many ways. But I guess the materialistic aspect, my own need to find something more personally meaningful, and the fact that I started getting interested in other things like interior design overwhelmed and discouraged me at the same time from doing anything fashion related for a while. Even the word FASHION itself can be hard to take serious sometimes. Or maybe I've just said it too many times throughout my existence thus far? I don't know. 


Anyway, there are so many things like quotes I hear in class to random things I make that I kind of want to organize in one place, and right now this blog seems like the best outlet.


I'm taking a sustainability course in school right now and last week we had an amazing guest speaker. Her name is Amy DuFault and she writes for Ecosalon.com. This woman is incredible! She is so dedicated to making the world a more sustainable place, it's ridiculously inspiring. The things you can learn about outsourced workers and how they're being treated, to how your food is being treated on farms, to global warming, to plastic bags, in one sitting with her is mind blowing. Almost literally. Some of her articles on the site under the "behind the label" section are really interesting, they take known companies like Chipotle and expose both the good and the bad about how they're handling their products, and how it effects you personally. 


Here's a quote I wrote down of hers from class. I can't say it's word for word, it's hard to write down every single word someone is saying, but more or less this is the message she was trying to get across about becoming more sustainable (but I also thought it was just good general advice): 


"Don't go nuts, don't shame people. You're not a part of a cult. Change starts with you. We're all hypocrites in some ways. I think it's smart to be transparent about what you're doing. You're going to make mistakes and if people want to call you out on them, let them. You've got to be happy about the little victories, you know? You're not going to be a magician and change minds over night." 


This kind of stuff can get overwhelming when you get into the real specifics of the factory workers over in China for example, but everyone should really touch base on this, I think. Doing little things like not taking plastic bags at the grocery store or recycling properly sounds silly but really does make a change in the long run. And it really is interesting to learn about how things like recycling connects to the environment, which connects to the climate, which connects to animals, etc. 


Amy's being as a whole is just so inspiring. She tries to dedicate every aspect of her life to this sustainable lifestyle because she believes it makes the world a better place, and I think that's amazing. 


And yes, I do still skip breakfast. 

2 comments:

  1. i always squeeze plastic bottles before i throw them to the bin! :D that's a kind of 'little victory' i think, and even such things really do make change.
    people like her can become an inspiration for others to make something positive. so it's important for us to broaden the horizons by meeting and talking to people with different sneak peaks.

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  2. I can completely relate to the feeling out of sorts with fashion. I'm still drawn to it in so many ways, but it is tiring and it use to feel like I was just consuming mindlessly, even if I was buying secondhand. I love to write and I want my life and my words to be meaningful. I still do personal style posts, but only when I feel like it, and I must admit I don't comment as much and read as many blogs as I use to. I am more concerned about living and trying to be a "social" blogger and "give back" to the blogging community the way I was, was just getting too draining. There are a few bloggers out there that I always talk to or always visit my blog and have been with me since I started, and I am perfectly content with that. Hope you continue to write and follow your heart and whatever makes you happy. -Jessica L

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