Hey Zine-Readers! Have you ever read Doris? It's one of the most popular and longest-sustained zines out there. If you like zines, yet haven't heard of it, you're not paying attention - its creator, Cindy Crabb, is a prolific punk DIY super heroine.
In any case, Doris discusses anarchism, permaculture, environmental degradation, politics and feminism, and living green through squatting and dumpster-diving. I've been on a total Doris kick lately, absorbing all her words and ideas and comparing them to my relatively tame hetero life in a first-ring suburb where I pay the mortgage and power companies, while living in my square wooden box made out of ticky-tacky...
While going through the compilation book of her zines that was recently published by Microcosm, I started wondering: am I getting more radical? Or will what I'm doing to live greener soon become the bare minimum?
Sure, we recycle diligently in my house and we kitchen compost and we buy farmer's market food when we can. That kinda stuff's in vogue and in the pages of Martha Stewart Living.
Also, I do many things that are somewhat out of the mainstream in the name of reusing or conserving resources.
Signs I'm just one step out of the mainstream:
I take great pains to buy resale over retail. Out of cheapness AND easing the burden in the landfill AND the thrill of finding unique things.
I let it yellow if it's mellow. (Sometimes my husband bitches about this being gross. I try to drink more water so my pee goes undetected...sneaky, I know.)
I use reusable maxi pads, if I bother to use anything at all. If you'd like more details on this, let me know. I don't believe there's such thing as Too Much Information, but I'm probably in the minority
I line dry all our clothes. I even plan to try this in the winter. (Shh. My husband thinks I'm already crazy. )
I use old lace doilies or dampened dish towels to protect food in the refrigerator. Plastic wrap gives me fits. I don't plan to buy more when we run out of it. (Shh. Again, don't let the husband know.)
I am completely content without a dishwasher - honest!
I don't water the plants I don't plan to use. This means the herbs or vegetables get the H20 love, but the lawn is almost completely brown, because I refuse to water it out of spite for its boring monoculture-ness.
Certainly these are small things, though they might seem weird to others. But I'm wondering if they will become more and more acceptable as people get more comfortable with sustainable living?
(Long Rambling Aside: Though I preach the gospel of thrift, I do fear that yard sales and thrifting pleasures will become cutthroat, competitive affairs and prices will be driven up higher. I don't let it keep me up nights, or anything, but just saying...)
Signs I'm starting to become a radical lunatic:
Whenever I see the little bundles of sticks that people set out for the trash hauler, in the regulation length and size, I secretly consider stealing them all and composting them or mulching my yard with them.
This morning while showering, I decided to make natural potpourri from lavender, mint and bee balm in my yard. Potpourri, people! Potpourri is inherently crazy.
My husband's ideas to build a greenhouse off the garage and power everything by bio-diesel are starting to sound reasonable.
I'm wondering if I can compost used q-tips and cottonballs...any ideas?
In my backyard, I tried to combat creeping charlie with creeping mint. Guess who's winning?
I've considered whether we should install a bidet when we remodel the basement bathroom - no more toilet paper!
I have been researching home-made conditioners that won't necessitate bringing more plastic bottles into my home. I'm talking egg whites and honey, people.
Pretty soon I'm gonna start blasting the Buffalo Springfield, I know! And trying to make holiday gifts out of my composted turds. My family will walk around with frizzled hair from our low-flow showerheads like that one Seinfeld episode and the trunk of our car will be held on with a bungie cord and we'll all be wearing dashikis made from newsprint.
Do I seek help? Or is this the future?
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