Blackout Poem

Hi friends!
So I was feeling a little uninspired and posted on my Instagram stories (how very millennial of me right) asking for ideas about what to blog about, and two of my friends gave me these brilliant responses:

So I decided to combine these ideas and make a blackout poem out of my first post ever (that would be this one) about how I am learning to be my true self as opposed to attempting to embody what other people what me to be (or at least my perception of what they want). Let me know what y'all think! This was super fun, thanks Taylor & Thane for giving me the ideas!


Too fond of old energy to live.

Too precious to other people,
can't change. 
Be
but limit change for people. 
"For people"
is necessity. 
Comfort. but 
I understand my choices
never dirty my worth. 

Make a place for me
Instead.
Wear "I"
Remove "They"
I don't have to worry.
I never run out.
I
raw.
I
light. 
I 
home.
I have met my version of I
Them, I forget
They ring empty. 
Home I need.

Better.
I learn.
I want to be more. 
Now self: own your better.
Repair.
Commit, practice
changing as much as possible. 

No one is perfect

I want to be new

To choose revolution 

I've found "I" already saved. 

I'm looking forward. 




ORIGINAL TEXT:

I've always been interested in environmentalism, and even contemplated a sustainability minor in college (but I'm not too fond of Chemistry so that didn't happen, haha). There are many avenues that I haven't explored yet, but as I've gotten older I've tried to invest more time and energy into finding sustainable ways to live. 

An important note: I try not to be too precious about sustainability when it comes to other people, because we all have our *things* that we can't or won't change. I used to be quite judgmental but as I learn more about sustainability, I have come to understand the limitations of certain lifestyle changes for certain types of people. For example, I understand that for people with disabilities, disposability for certain items is a necessity. As an able-bodied person, I feel comfortable making these changes, but I make the effort not to judge people who choose not to. :)

Similarly, I understand that as one individual, my choices will never make the kind of impact that, say, a company choosing not to use plastic or a corporation cutting down on dirty energy would. I do feel, however, that if I can easily adjust a tiny facet of my lifestyle, it's worth the subsequently tiny impact it makes. Maybe it's a placebo effect, I don't know, but it works for me. :) 

• Instead of throw-away makeup wipes, I used reusable, washable microfiber facial cloths. I use KwinHa ones but you can find different brands pretty much anywhere. They are fast-drying, soft, and easy to care for. I don't wear waterproof makeup, so I've never had to add a facial cleanser or makeup remover; I use just water. They are affordable (and cheaper than buying multiple packs of makeup wipes!), I don't have to worry about any chemicals or perfumes causing an allergic reaction, and I can easily use them multiple times before washing, so I've never run out. 
• For eating out, I bring reusable straws, silverware (or woodenware if I want to carry light), a reusable coffee cup, and or tupperware/a reusable takeout container if I know I'm going to take some home. I always have at least one metal straw in my purse and if I know I'm going to be eating somewhere that only provides plastic forks/spoons, I add a metal or wooden version of my own as well. I also carry a cloth napkin (I picked up a pack of four for 69 cents on clearance at And That!) to wrap them in after use. If I forget my cup (which happens a lot, whoops!) and they offer a plastic version, I try to remember to bring the empty cup home so I can rinse it out and recycle it. :) Unfortunately, waxed paper and Styrofoam cups usually aren't recyclable, so I need to get better about not using those. Also I recently learned that only certain numbers of plastic are recyclable, so I want to be more wary of that from now on. 
• Tip: for places that let you fill up your drink yourself at a soda machine, sometimes I ask if I can pay for a drink and use my own cup.
• Fun fact: Starbucks takes 10 cents off your bill if you bring a reusable cup! 
• I try to buy sauces, condiments, and food products in paper or glass. Sometimes this means I have to look at multiple places--for example, olive oil in glass was a lot cheaper at And That! than it was at Target. This is something I want to get better at also. 
• I cut up old, stained, or ripped clothes than aren't repairable or able to be resold/donated to use as cleaning rags. In our house, we don't have to buy paper towels because we use rags. After using a rag, I place it in one of those Ziploc-style bags that laundry pods come in (I wanted to reuse an older one somehow). Whenever it's laundry day, I just dump them in with the towels and such. :) I've never had a problem with staining and if there is a lot of dirt/dust collected, I just rinse them out before washing. 
• For holidays/birthdays/weddings, I tried to purchase gifts locally or at thrift stores. Putting money into the local economy may not often be considered "environmentally-friendly", but I've noticed that smaller businesses are more likely to commit to sustainable practices (or be swayed towards changing their practices to more environmentally-friendly behaviors by community members), so I think it's worth supporting them as much as possible.
•  One particular gift idea that was easy to find was local wine, beer, etc. Luckily no one we know only drinks one brand of alcohol. 
• Used or donated books was also something I bought a lot of this year. I've noticed that many privately-owned bookstores and thrift stores carry new(ish) books in close to perfect condition, and often they are extremely inexpensive. Barnes & Noble is an amazing place, but I wanted to support a local business and help the environment by purchasing a previously-owned book. My personal Fredericksburg favorite is Riverby's downtown, which has a killer theatrical section! One caveat here is that it's not always easy to find the exact book I want, so this was easier for when I knew what genre I wanted but didn't have a specific title in mind. I did have to be more picky about the quality of the book (ripped or missing pages, creased cover, writing inside) also, because I still want the gift I'm giving to be in new condition.
• When it comes to thrift stores, I choose to avoid Salvation's Army because of their history of anti-LGBTQ beliefs and politics. Similarly, I've shopped at Goodwill and Plato's Closet before, but I personally prefer to put my money into local thrift stores that go towards a specific cause or charity. The prices are also typically lower at local places.  

These lifestyle changes aren't revolutionary, but I've found that they make a pretty solid shift--I only started using reusable straws/cups in March, and I've already saved approximately 217 single-use straws and 77 single-use cups.  

I'm looking forward to exploring new avenues of sustainability in the next few months: going to the farmer's market for the first time, trying out the Lunapad I got for Christmas, and making more of an effort to purchase locally instead of from chains/big-box companies.