A Paler Shade of Green

One simple thing I do to support my environment is to use green bags. I love this gesture as it's easy, demonstrative, achievable.....

Yet, in the last few weeks my effort has been rather poor! On holidays overseas I felt it was not always appropriate to be rejecting someone's attempt to provide quality service. I know that as westerners we may think it necessary to impose our values on others in the name of the environment but I like to tread lightly and respectfully  when I am on someone else's land. While we cry out that it's a waste the poor shop assistant may feel that they have not fulfilled their responsibility in providing the bag.

The last couple of weeks I have been busy adjusting to having a young person in my home. As I've said before, it's very exciting and a welcome challenge. Anyway, I've found that I no longer have that quiet, exclusive space when I shop. So I've accepted bags, time after time, before realising what's happening. I tell myself later that I will not do it the next time. But it keeps happening!!

Do you find that as a SAD person even with the best of intentions it's hard to do what you really want to do as your mind turns over so many things?

So let me go now and put the green shopping bags in the car. Then I won't have to put off my shopping as I did today, because I had no green bags and I was determined not to use another plastic bag!!

David Brown's House
former hill station
at the top of Penang Hill
Malaysia

Have a good week!

A few quick jottings.

I've been away on holidays and I have a young person staying with me so I haven't had as much time online lately. I miss my computer indulgence but it's been interesting to see that there is life outside of cyberland.

The travelling was great. I love discovering another corner of this wondrous world.  It gives me great pleasure to know humanity in its many forms and guises and to see more and more how beautiful our earth is.

I think having a young person in the house enables me to experience a different reality. I get to find out who really is hot at the moment (Justin Beiber, in case you didn't know) and what kind of shoes are fashionable.  But more than those things, I get to eat good food because I've got a reason to make the extra effort. And I get to do things with someone. It's a luxury to have someone to make dinner with and to have someone who helps around the house. It's a nice change to not have to think about myself ad nauseum. And aside from all that it's been lovely getting to know another person.

On a SAD note, I haven't had much time to sit around and dwell on my self-centred thoughts. My inner chatterbox has taken delight in being more in the moment,  whether it's tasting Thai food or listening attentively as someone talks about their hopes for graduation.

It makes me wonder what more could I be doing in my life each day if I didn't take so much time to reflect on the day's happenings, on my misgivings, on my day dreaming on how life could really be. 

It's been really nice to eat well so regularly and to enjoy looking after the space I live in. Don't get me wrong! I do eat good food and I do look after my home at other times.  But somehow I'm doing a much better job at the moment.    Why,  I came home this evening from yoga and cleaned the bathroom. Unbelievable! (And it's a weeknight!)

Happy SAD Moments

Happy SAD Moments
I've always been a little shy about my hair. Yes, my hair. I have big ears so, in true SAD fashion,   I've learnt over the years to hide them behind my luscious locks. Not forgetting, of course, my high forehead. Yes, ever a SAD person, I make sure my foreheard is always covered by some sort of fringe. This has led to a frustratingly restricted number of hairstyles and, dare I say,  a preoccupation with things that are not that important in the big scheme of life. Nevertheless...

Then the other day, out of sheer desperation I twirled a few hairs and stuck a pin in them. Nothing fancy. Something I've always wanted to do. In fact, something I've always done at home when noone else is looking!!  But that day, I hadn't washed my hair, it badly needed a cut, the greys were showing through and it was just plain unruly.
So in went the pin.  And the next day and the next...and I loved it. I loved giving my hair a little twirl and changing its style .
Yes, it's probably been thirty years since I was creative with my hair. I actually felt young again. I felt that I could have fun and not have to maintain my typically conservative persona.
The unbelievable happened when one of my younger and more fashionable colleagues commented that my hair looked really nice styled in that way. Whippee!!!!! And there I was quite resigned to showing the greys and being a bit of a dag (=1970's slang for being uncool). Her comment still brings a smile to my face.

I'm glad that I felt comfortable enough in myself to change my hair even if it was out of necessity. And even if it took 30 years.

SAD has a way of enslaving you.

I had happily tried different styles when I was about 14 but someone I respected showed their disapproval. I listened to them. If only I had realised that one person's comments are only absolute if I allow them to be.  I clearly hadn't developed my sense of who I was and what I liked. For me, it had to come from someone else. The safe way. The SAD way!


Take a different road and see where it leads you.