See entire March 2, 2011 newsletter

Besides being a wonderful human being, my friend Barbara Eiswerth posted something on my Facebook page this weekend that really gave me pause and made me stop to think about the first “R” – reduce:

“Mrs. Green how about challenging your readers? How long do they hold on to things? My sister has a Volvo station wagon that has 311,000 miles on it that she drives daily when she is not walking, biking or golfcarting places. The average car ownership is rising according to New York Times (feb 25th). What about cell phones and computers and TVs? Necessity vs. compulsion.”

It’s really up to each of us to answer the question: how long do we hold on to things? Did I really need a new phone? And then a charger for my house, one for the car, and another for our cabin? No. Because then I had to figure out what to do with all those same things from my “old” phone. I don’t need a new car thanks to Chapman. I did need a new computer because mine was crashing but I passed on my old one (with all its accoutrements) to someone who says it’s fine for her use. And then there’s the new TV I had to get because I couldn’t see the smaller screen on the old one. Yes, we disposed of it properly but clearly that is not Barb’s point. What about those shoes I bought last week because I “needed” some different shades of brown and a black dressy shoe. Some might even call it compulsion. Okay – enough said. We all have to have at least one or two vices or challenges to meet. Mine? Shoes – clearly a work in progess.

On the upside and for YOUR thinking pleasure: I have crossed over to reusable bottles, I NEVER use plastic bags, I don’t buy “stuff” for the house anymore because I just don’t need it and I have promised my family to not purchase any more candles until the supply has dwindled. I would give myself a “fair” on that one but moving in the right direction. Would love to hear your thoughts. Now I am off to reduce my food intake.