So, I've completed the entire movie (1.5 hours with a few pauses for menial household and hygienic practices) and still have battery life! Yay! Definitely more than can be said for my last computer.
Now, I'm sitting here, in my bed, typing away after viewing No Impact Man.
Hmm...
I can at least say that I was pleasantly entertained throughout. I could easily see similarities in opinion, concern, and struggle. But, the nice thing is, living in a small town, we don't really face all of the same difficulties. Composting isn't a problem for us. We have land to create our own garden. We have local farms. So in some ways, my goals are easier to achieve. I'm thankful for that.
I was intrigued by their tactic...to give up everything and then slowly bring back the things they felt they couldn't or didn't want to live without. We are doing it the opposite way. And I personally feel that it will work better for us to take away our habits the same way we accumulated them...slowly and steadily. I think of it like dieting. To stop cold turkey might be a good tactic for quitting smoking or drinking or any other harmful addiction (which I suppose one could argue that consumerism is just as harmful or more so), but I worry that giving up too much too quickly would undermine our efforts and make us less likely to embrace change. I don't know. Maybe I'm just as bad as those people who began to comment negatively on his blog...afraid to make "real" changes that would be truly be beneficial - instead only making easy and convenient changes that do little to really make an impact.
Hmmm...
I will say that a few of the changes this family made made me cringe. Not because I was disgusted, but because I don't have faith that I could make these changes myself. Take, for example, giving up toilet paper. Or cutting off the electricity. No coffee?!!! Oh, god...I'm already shaking. No meat? I'm not saying these things aren't possible. I'm just having the expected fight or flight instinct of any addict when their precious drugs of choice are being threatened.
One change that was brought up in the film (and that was echoed in the "living without plastics" video I shared a few days ago) was using re-usable containers when purchasing bulk goods at the store. I wonder if Sunny Farms would let us do that? I will have to do some research.
Overall, I feel like my family is lucky because we don't live in the city and do not have some of the same addictions to overcome. I, unlike Colin's wife, DO like nature, have no problem putting worms in a compost bin, don't have a need to buy designer products, and do not feel deprived if I don't get a double quad latte twice a day. And I was a little surprised by how much information was shared that seemed like common knowledge. Which scared me...because maybe that means it isn't. Maybe these kinds of changes really ARE radical. I hate to think so. I'd prefer to think that most people know this stuff (which at least means that at least of few of them will come around eventually).
But could we make some extra changes? Sure. Those plans were already in the works! Hence this blog.
So what's next on our agenda for change? Tomorrow: my first shot at homemade yogurt, a run, a trip to the farmer's market (with our own bags - which really should be a 'duh' for everyone by now, and a family yard work session!
I guess I'll close tonight by saying that my favorite part of the film was how it highlighted how this experiment made their family closer and how it connected them to the world around them. I'm lucky enough to be able to dig my hands in dirt or walk on a clean beach whenever I feel like it. Not everyone has that at their disposal, and yet, I don't do it very often. I might not be willing to wash my clothes in my bathtub, but I definitely should be trying harder. Those little changes need to come more often. I'm at the 6 month point.
Sunday...I'll do a checkpoint post. Let's really see what we've changed so far this year. Stay tuned.
Oh...and in case you were interested in checking out the blog that inspired the film:
No Impact Man
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