To Live or Not to Live

That truly is the question that you should ask yourself each and every day. Are you going to live, or are you going to just observe your life like you are watching a movie. I personally have done so much observing of my life, so much aimless wandering, so much floating around like a balloon, that I cannot abide by it any longer. I know that I must take the reins, take the wheel, and steer the course of my life in the direction of my choosing. I have been asleep for far too long, and I have found myself on a course very much to my dislike. I am not happy about the choices that I have made, and I am ready to do the things which I must to be happy. If ever you are unsure of whether the path you are on is right for you or not, look to the difficulties that your path present to you along the way. Obstacles will of course be present on any path; however, if a path is so wrong for you that nothing goes well and it seems like you are always walking uphill, then perhaps you should take heed that it is time to try another way.

I Quit

Well, I finally quit my job at the non-profit. It was by far the most disappointing job that I have ever had. I had such high hopes for it when I accepted it. I really thought that the place was different from a corporation. I thought it was going to be a team-oriented, supportive, collaborative environment. It turned out to be the most negative, every person out for themselves, politically motivated place I have ever worked. The people were horrible. We were supposed to be helping animals, but instead, it was a group of people helping themselves. I have also never been treated with such disrespect and disdain. And that is saying a lot. My boss treated me so badly. She constantly derided and chided me and even had the nerve to blame me for things that she had done wrong. Amazing. Anyway, life is too short to be miserable. I won't do it anymore. Ce la vie.

Earth Day Should Be Every day

Earth Day is officially April 22nd; however, I believe it should be every day. Every day we should make an effort to appreciate and conserve and respect the planet. It is, after all, the only one that we have to call home. I am astounded that there are tons of people out there who just don't care about global warming. Can we afford to not care? It is only the planet that we are talking about destroying here.

For example, according to the Worldwatch Institute, Americans use more than 100 billion plastic bags each year, and 99 percent go straight to landfills. 100 BILLION. Whole Foods, a natural-foods chain, has pledged to eliminate plastic bags from their stores by Earth Day. American cities are trying to take initiative as well. San Francisco's City Council voted in 2007 to ban plastic bags at grocery chains and pharmacies.

Another troubling consequence of human arrogance is the decline of the honey bee. One of the possible causes is a commonly used insecticide called Imidacloprid. Some scientists believe that when bees come in contact with flowers that are sprayed with the toxin, they experience memory, learning, ad motor-skill impairment and cannot find their way home. If "colony collapse disorder" continues at its current rate, everyone from farmers to consumers will suffer.

If you really want to make a difference for the planet and for your eco-conscious, here is a list of some simple things that you can do.

Bring reusable bags with you when you go shopping
Take public transportation, ride your bike, or even walk instead of driving
Turn off the lights when you leave the room
Unplug your electronics when you are not using them
Wash clothes in cold water
Hang your clothes to air dry
Shut your computer down when you leave home or work
Swap books with family, friends and neighbors
Use reusable bottles for water and reusable mugs for coffee
Find new uses for old things and swap instead of buying
Get off junk mailing lists
Bank online and pay your bills online
Reuse your Ziploc bags, bread bags, plastic bags
Compost your kitchen scraps, recycle anything that can be recycled and reduce your landfill waste
Use pre-used boxes for storage or moving
Shred old paper for packing instead of using Styrofoam peanuts
Eat locally grown foods whenever possible
Shop locally
Use rechargeable batteries
Bring lunch to work in reuseable containers
Don't use paper towels or napkins opt for cloth instead

This is by no means everything that you can do, but these are all little to no cost things that you can do to help the planet.
Remember to make every day Earth day. Together, we can make a difference.

Musing

Her red hair was trying to break free from its ponytail. It was so windy, blowing cold on her face. She was standing on the pier, watching the waves crash against the rocks. The cold penetrated through her layers of clothing. She loved the lake, and she always came here to think, to get some perspective. Being near something so majestic always helped her realize that the world is bigger and greater than any one person. We are merely specks in the winds of time. Our lives matter far less than we think they do. Our thoughts, our actions, will not keep the waves from crashing, the wind from blowing, the sun from shining or the earth from turning. There are, in fact, few things we do that cannot be undone. Life is full of opportunities and second chances.

My Bucket List

Inspired by The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Here is my list of things that I want to do before I kick the bucket (ie. DIE).

-Make a difference in the world, help people, change the world for the better, be a catalyst for a consciousness/paradigm shift
-Spend as much time with family and friends as I can-always put my relationships ahead of everything else
-Make my relationships as meaningful, loving and truthful as possible
-Stop gossiping and speaking ill of others
-Travel-especially hiking the Camino de Santiago, the Via Alpina, the Appalachian trail; go to Costa Rica, go back to Italy-Rome and Cinque Terra
-Live in San Francisco
-Be my own boss: Start my own clothing line; non profit-GCCC; get a novel published-an uplifting, positive work; have my photography displayed in a gallery
-Become fluent in Italian (again)
-Meet the Dalai Lama, learn more about Buddhism, learn how to meditate
-Walk every day, eat healthy, be at peace with myself
-Live my values, beliefs and ideals
-Read more and stop watching TV altogether
-Start my own scholarship fund for kids who want to go to college so that they can make a positive difference in the world
-Remember every day that I am a very fortunate human being, and it is my duty to help my fellow humans, as well as all sentient beings, on their paths to nirvana

These are things that are very important to me, and I am going to strive to make them a reality. I figure that I am one step closer to making them come true by putting them out there into the universe.