I feel like I have been hit over the head....

This morning I started by picking up a book and opening it. Page 171.

Idle Questions
RUMI

A person hit a Worker a good strong blow from behind.
The Worker swung around to return it; and the man said:
"Before you hit me, I have a question for you.
Not this is it: that sound: was it made by my hand or your neck?"
"The pain I am feeling does not give me leave for speculation.
These things are all right to worry about if you're feeling no pain."

This story made me remember another one, told my Mandy Patinken in a documentary I saw last night about Hal Prince, the great director of musical theater. Now, this isn't exactly what Patinken said, but its how I remember it.

"I was in the middle of doing a scene in rehearsals for a show and Hal interrupted me. 'I need you to be over there [pointing to the opposite side of the stage].' I was young, just out of acting school and all concerned about my character's motivations so I asked, 'Why would my character go over there? What could possibly motivate him to want to be there? What is he doing over there?' Hal's response was simply 'I don't care. I just know I need you to be there.'"

So I thought both of these things over and over in my head while we got ready for the day. It was on the bus, as I was still thinking these two stories over and over again in my brain this line came to me from a great movie. Tremors. Kevin Bacon's character says, "Yeah. See, we plan ahead that way we don't do anything right now."

Isn't that what I always do? Worry about where the pain is coming from and not dealing with the pain. Worried about why I like going to artificial world made by an evil corporation instead of just excepting that that is where I need to be. Being so worried about the next thing on my list that I don't hold what I have right now. I'm so worried about doing the wrong thing, that most of the time, I just don't do anything.

So then, I got to work and read this from Collin Beaven, the No Impact Man. He basically says what I just said only more coherently.

So yeah, I get it. Stop checking to make sure I'm always right. Stop worrying about why I am going somewhere and just make the journey and be in that spot in that moment. Stop analyzing the cause of pain and just hold the fact of pain.

It's that time of year again...

Staying cool... Pool Side
Polynesian Resort, Walt Disney World
by Katy 2008

... Summer. It may not officially be summer just yet, but today our high is suppose to be 90 and that is hot enough for me to start thinking about staying cool. Last year I went all summer with my A/C set to 80. This year I am bumping it up to 83. I would turn it off entirely, but I have a dog that stays home all day and daughter that I love dearly and I don't want either of them to have a heat stroke.

So how do I stay cool? Last year I basically just keep the fans going (thank God for old apartments and lots of ceiling fans). This year I am adding a new technique I read over on No Impact Man's blog. That is keeping my windows and blinds closed during the day to keep the heat from the sun out. Sound odd doesn't it? But in the name of staying cool I am willing to give almost anything a try. So this week I have been keeping the blinds closed during the day (I used to crack them open to give my dog some light). I can honestly say that I have noticed a difference. NIM probably doesn't do this, but I still keep one ceiling fan going during the day. Houston is so humid that the air in any space can get heavy and gross when there isn't any circulation going.

My hope is the A/C won't kick on until at least July. Let's see how well we do...

Light bulb

So when you take this long to post- blog ideas build up.

Last week Arduous posted on her blog about when she new that she wanted to start changing things. It happend while she was watching the Coberlt Report.

I got to thinking about when I had my moment of decision. I started out slowly, I'm still moving slowly. The moment when I felt like my everyday choices meant something, and there was something that I could change came after reading a post by Plastic Fish. She was takeing a count of her plastic use for the month. She has been trying to get to zero plastic and that month she had a plastic seal from a bottle, a plastic do-hicky that was a part of something she had purchused (before she realized the do-hicky was there), and one other thing that escapes me at the moment.

Anyway, weeks before that I had started reading No Impact Man. He was in the process of turing off his electricity. Already not buying anything, not creating any trash, composting with worms in his apartment, not using any carbon dioxide burning transpertation, and more. He seemed super human. What he was doing was cool, I felt his obervations offered a lot of insight into how one should live, but I wasn't there. I'm not in a place where I can avoid driving or not throw anything away. I'm not bring a tub of worms into my apartment, and I'm not completely turning off my A/C in the Texas summer.

There was something simple about Plastic Fish though. She was looking at her world,and avoiding plastic. It seemed simple. I got up from my computer and went into the coffee bar at work to make my coffee. I picked up my styrophome cup and filled it with ice, used two creamers that come in little plastic packages, got my coffee and then picked up the pastic stirer. I think put the plastic lid on and then reached for the plastic straw that was wraped in plastic.

Wow. Not so easy.

So the next day used one creamer and instead of a stirer I stired with my straw.

I then went to bringing my own cup that has a lid. I don't use a straw and on most days I don't use creamer at all. (I admit that there are days where I can't take it and I use it because I'm treating myself. I figure that if I'm that low, that creamer in my coffee will make it seem better, I need it.)

So from there I started looking at my trash. Now I take the trash out once a week. Not really because its always full, but mostly because I don't have a tub of worms in my apartment and things do start to make their presents known.

Help the No Impact Man

Hey guys,

Colin, aka No Impact Man, has a great post today: We can really make a difference. TODAY. But I need your help. Plus I have some free Reverend Billy DVDs to give away.

He is trying to collect 350 (or 3500) e-mails to send to his local congressman and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosci. Go to his cite to get the whole scoop, but this is what I feel is the most imprortant thing he is asking for:

"Introduce, as soon as possible, a non-binding resolution to
the House of Representatives asserting that we need a
climate change mitigation policy with a goal of no more
than 350 ppm of atmospheric carbon dioxide
(read why here)."

He is also offering to give away a free copy of the "What Would Jesus Buy" DVD.
Personally, let me just say that I have seen "Rev. Billy" on a few news programs
talking about his "mission" and I am not a fan. I agree with the concept, I agree that I don't think our ultra cunsumorism is good, but I just don't like the way he is going about spreading his "message". That aside, don't let that stop you from sending in your e-mail.