New Things!

I aspire to live a life that has a high positive impact on society and the people around me, but a low impact on the planet. One of the low impact strategies is limit consumption. I was really intrigued one year when I read about the SF Bay Area people who made the pact to buy nothing for a year. (The Compact). Food and personal hygiene items were somewhat excluded, but they had limits to these items, too. For their own needs and for gifts they bought services or bought second hand items. (After visiting Urban Ore in Berkeley, and browsing Craig's List, I know for a fact that practically anything you need can be found second hand! Especially if you live in a metropolitan area.) Now, don't get me wrong, I have not officially done The Compact. Not even for just a month. But reading about it made me think about my buying habits.

I don't really like shopping. I'd much rather spend free time in the yard or with yarn! I also don't watch tv so I have inoculated myself against the way that tv makes you think you want things. I really didn't notice how powerful this force was until I stopped watching. I'm not saying people should stop watching tv, I didn't give it up for any "moral" reason. It was a result of circumstances surrounding our move to this house. Then I realized I didn't miss it and didn't care to go back to watching. My point is that (by accident) I discovered that tv doesn't just impact the consumerism of children and teens. It affects the consumerism of educated, conservation minded, responsible adults who know better (like me!). One other thing that insulates me against the forces that encourage consumption is that I don't even do my own grocery shopping. (How lucky is that! Thanks to the Aunt!!!) I think once you are out there spending for necessary things, it is so much easier to keep spending for the less necessary and the unnecessary!

Maybe all the above sounds sanctimonious or preachy. I don't mean it to be. I have just noticed that buying is one of those things that if you force yourself to stop for awhile and if you spend time thinking about it, you notice that you were not buying because you needed the things. It is an area where it is interesting to examine unexamined behavior. Another interesting thing is that when I mentioned The Compact to friends, their reaction was completely negative. Now, I wasn't suggesting that any of us do it. I just brought up the article and the idea of it. I was unprepared for the ferocity of the response. There was no discussion that ensued, only negative comments about craziness and extremism. An idea so threatening that we couldn't even discuss it???? Hmmmm....

All of the above musing has now gotten me way off track! What I initially was going to blog about is:

1. I am going shopping (gasp!) for a NEW dress and shoes for a work Christmas party (double gasp!!). My only "dress up" party dress and shoes are from my reunion in 2000. Niece S is going with me to make it more bearable!
2. The NEW fence is going up in the far corner of the backyard! It is being put in by a neighbor who had house repairs going on for most of the years we have lived here. The fence was taken down by El Esposo this summer and we put up a temporary plastic barrier to keep the dogs in. I was sort of resigned to having the plastic barrier and the fence down for at least a year. But no! Pictures will follow when the fence is done. And it is going up so fast that EE is thinking about having the same worker fix another section of falling-down fence.
3. I have a NEW office!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am now project director of a federal grant as half of my job starting in January and I asked to have an office so I could keep that work separate from my teaching work. The new office is in the library, closer to the rest of the folks working on this and other grants. I think it is the best office in the whole building and I can't understand why it has been empty until now (library opened in 2006). I never had complaints about my other office. Teachers make do with desks from the 60s and 70s and spaces that were not designed for new technology. (I have a powerstrip with cords everywhere since my teaching office only has two easily accessible outlets, for example). But now that I have a NEW office--not only new to me, but never been used and with a modern ergonomic desk and enough outlets--I am ecstatic!!!! It faces south to catch the sun, it is in the library, and it has its own door to the outside!!!!!!

Here are some pictures taken with my phone. Sorry for the quality, but I didn't want to bring my camera. I don't think it is normal to be this excited about a new office so I try not to bring attention to myself. Besides, I'm half afraid that if I look too excited, they will realize their mistake in giving me the best office in the building and change their minds!

What they don't know is that I don't plan to give this up when the project is over in 2015! The person who gave me the office will be retired by then, the building where my teaching office is located will be being remodeled, and I predict no one will think about evicting me!