I totally feel this post. For this Christmas, my sister in law suggested a pajama party Christmas dinner which sounds super fun, right? Then I realized she meant Christmas pajamas of which I had none. She sent a link to super cheap Old Navy jammies. I felt so torn between wanting to join the fun and not wanting to buy slave made planet killing pjs I didn't need. So I compromised. I bought some buffalo plaid, locally, sustainably made pjs...for almost $100. Being a part of the fun got expensive fast but at least I supported a small eco business.
Youch! I have to resist the fancy x-mas PJs every year. Right now I've settled for a wintery pair that we reuse every year and can be worn as normal PJs, not sure what I'll do when I have growing kids! But I feel the struggle trying to get involved in the fun and its like hitting your head on a wall. When my mother-in-law buys us new PJs I just have to shut my mouth, it's how she shows her love.
This post is so relatable. Like you said that you feel like a question mark, I feel that I am walking through the world as a trigger point for others haha. Especially without drinking, smoking, not having social media, and by being vegan, for slow fashion and caring about the carbon footprint.
I will definitely check the Citizens book, sounds really uplifting, because we need to find people similar to us :)
Thank you so much! I think we are literally the same person!!!!! I don't really drink, don't really smoke, don't use social media except for LI, vegan, slow fashion, eco!!!! <3
Check out these two songs. The first has the lyric: but then they get to talking about the plastic in the sea. The second has the lyric: My girlfriend doesn't worry about the vision Mao Zedong had for China.
I think the first lyric speaks to the power of resonance. Finding people that have similar worries about the world that we do. Thank you for writing this. It makes me feel less alone in my worries about the world! The second lyric captures the sentiment that you write about in your peace: that there are people who just don't worry about this stuff. And you and I are jealous of them!
I think you hit the nail right on the head. We can't change everything about the world. And it's kind of counterproductive to carry it all. All we can do is focus on making the world a little bit better. I've bookmarked citizen Friday and will forward it to friends! This is a group of people that is changing the narrative. And we are spreading This new narrative. We can be missionaries for a less s***** future. Thanks for writing and pouring your heart into substack. Even though we are two oceans apart (I'm in Hawaii) I really resonate with what you write. Dan
Dan I love these two song examples!!!! Thank you so much for sending me them!!!! Sometimes I think I'm so far up my own arse thinking other people don't worry about this stuff, but sometimes it is true, we're all just a bit different.
I loved your life skills post, definitely agree with you on feeling uncomfy in certain alcohol-y sitautons, one of the many reasons I avoided university. and I really loved the kimya dawson quote you shared!!
Glad you appreciated Citizen Friday, it feels big enough to make a difference and simple enough to tackle ourselves.
Thank you so so so much for your kind words!!!! <3
I live in such a bubble, as most of my close friends and family members are not consumers. So, when I meet people who do participate in consumer society at a higher level than me, I am just perplexed - I feel like an anthropologist studying another culture. My cousin recently said she couldn't live somewhere as rural as me because she wants to be near stores and I'm like "Really?! You WANT to be by big box stores? Huh! I want to be far away from them." It was so strange to me that someone would think like that... I suppose that's how so many people really do think though. I should get out a bit more...
Haha! See I'm the other way, I feel like the crazy non-consumer surrounded by consumers. I think it's good to surround yourself with the opposite sometimes, to understand why people do the things they do. You won't change people's opinons if all your friends agree with you.
This is so relatable for me. I so often feel like I'm either biting my tongue with my friends (and therefore not sticking to my morals), or, if I do say how I really feel, like I'm just a total party pooper, bringing them all down. It's a tricky balance. My intention is never to make people feel guilty, all I really want is a discussion and that's so rarely what I get. Trying to find ways to talk about causes I care about in a way that opens people up to chat, rather than shuts them down. Argh!
Thank you for the introduction to Citizen Friday, what a great idea.
Argggh it is a hard one Zabby!! I'm working on a post about talking about climate change over the holidays which might have some good advise for you. Honestly some people are best to leave it with though LOL! I don't want to constantly be educating!!! I love Citizen Friday, going to try to implement it more myself too :)
I totally feel this post. For this Christmas, my sister in law suggested a pajama party Christmas dinner which sounds super fun, right? Then I realized she meant Christmas pajamas of which I had none. She sent a link to super cheap Old Navy jammies. I felt so torn between wanting to join the fun and not wanting to buy slave made planet killing pjs I didn't need. So I compromised. I bought some buffalo plaid, locally, sustainably made pjs...for almost $100. Being a part of the fun got expensive fast but at least I supported a small eco business.
Youch! I have to resist the fancy x-mas PJs every year. Right now I've settled for a wintery pair that we reuse every year and can be worn as normal PJs, not sure what I'll do when I have growing kids! But I feel the struggle trying to get involved in the fun and its like hitting your head on a wall. When my mother-in-law buys us new PJs I just have to shut my mouth, it's how she shows her love.
This post is so relatable. Like you said that you feel like a question mark, I feel that I am walking through the world as a trigger point for others haha. Especially without drinking, smoking, not having social media, and by being vegan, for slow fashion and caring about the carbon footprint.
I will definitely check the Citizens book, sounds really uplifting, because we need to find people similar to us :)
Nikola
Thank you so much! I think we are literally the same person!!!!! I don't really drink, don't really smoke, don't use social media except for LI, vegan, slow fashion, eco!!!! <3
Sugar Street https://g.co/kgs/iXc5wH
My Girlfriend Doesn't Worry https://g.co/kgs/rVu3dP
Check out these two songs. The first has the lyric: but then they get to talking about the plastic in the sea. The second has the lyric: My girlfriend doesn't worry about the vision Mao Zedong had for China.
I think the first lyric speaks to the power of resonance. Finding people that have similar worries about the world that we do. Thank you for writing this. It makes me feel less alone in my worries about the world! The second lyric captures the sentiment that you write about in your peace: that there are people who just don't worry about this stuff. And you and I are jealous of them!
I wrote this piece recently about our zone of control. (Scroll to the last section) http://danscreativeoutlet.com/2023/10/27/five-crucial-skills-for-a-good-life/
I think you hit the nail right on the head. We can't change everything about the world. And it's kind of counterproductive to carry it all. All we can do is focus on making the world a little bit better. I've bookmarked citizen Friday and will forward it to friends! This is a group of people that is changing the narrative. And we are spreading This new narrative. We can be missionaries for a less s***** future. Thanks for writing and pouring your heart into substack. Even though we are two oceans apart (I'm in Hawaii) I really resonate with what you write. Dan
Dan I love these two song examples!!!! Thank you so much for sending me them!!!! Sometimes I think I'm so far up my own arse thinking other people don't worry about this stuff, but sometimes it is true, we're all just a bit different.
I loved your life skills post, definitely agree with you on feeling uncomfy in certain alcohol-y sitautons, one of the many reasons I avoided university. and I really loved the kimya dawson quote you shared!!
Glad you appreciated Citizen Friday, it feels big enough to make a difference and simple enough to tackle ourselves.
Thank you so so so much for your kind words!!!! <3
I live in such a bubble, as most of my close friends and family members are not consumers. So, when I meet people who do participate in consumer society at a higher level than me, I am just perplexed - I feel like an anthropologist studying another culture. My cousin recently said she couldn't live somewhere as rural as me because she wants to be near stores and I'm like "Really?! You WANT to be by big box stores? Huh! I want to be far away from them." It was so strange to me that someone would think like that... I suppose that's how so many people really do think though. I should get out a bit more...
Haha! See I'm the other way, I feel like the crazy non-consumer surrounded by consumers. I think it's good to surround yourself with the opposite sometimes, to understand why people do the things they do. You won't change people's opinons if all your friends agree with you.
First time I've heard of #CitizenFriday -- great idea! Sorry our inflation-countering ideology got shipped across the pond... :)
Haha! It's alright, it's Walmarts fault I believe? They made our version (Asda) do it in 2010, and the rest is history. Hope you're doing well x
This is so relatable for me. I so often feel like I'm either biting my tongue with my friends (and therefore not sticking to my morals), or, if I do say how I really feel, like I'm just a total party pooper, bringing them all down. It's a tricky balance. My intention is never to make people feel guilty, all I really want is a discussion and that's so rarely what I get. Trying to find ways to talk about causes I care about in a way that opens people up to chat, rather than shuts them down. Argh!
Thank you for the introduction to Citizen Friday, what a great idea.
Argggh it is a hard one Zabby!! I'm working on a post about talking about climate change over the holidays which might have some good advise for you. Honestly some people are best to leave it with though LOL! I don't want to constantly be educating!!! I love Citizen Friday, going to try to implement it more myself too :)
Thank you so much Anjali.