Tag: environmental justice

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Earth Day During a Pandemic

Today is the day. The 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The day that we celebrate the earth.

Unfortunately, we are not following through on our Earth Day promises. Climate change is no longer just a looming threat, but an eventual cause of demise for the earth. And the current pandemic we are dealing with is fully tied to the climate and the way we, as humans, have treated the earth.

If you recycle, that’s great. If you reuse, that’s better. If you reduce, that is fantastic. But what else are you doing on the individual and family level to make a REAL difference for the environment? Here are some things that you can do, and that we NEED to do, in order to heal the earth and save the human race. Yes – it is THAT serious – this is not hyperbole – this is real.

Eat less (and eventually zero) meat

I realize that this is a difficult thing for people to even consider, let alone put into practice, but changing to a more plant based diet and eventually to a full vegan way of life is one of the things that can seriously help heal the earth and support our species survival. Eating more greens and less fatty meat is also better for humans, in general, but it helps the earth heal as well. Click here for more information on this from Greenpeace.

Shop local instead of online

I totally get that right now it may seem impossible to buy local, because we are in the middle of a pandemic and need to stay inside except for essential work and shopping. The thing is – there are still local merchants that are trying to adjust to this current state of the world by offering delivery or curbside pickup for customers. Need a book? Buy from a local bookseller. Need groceries? Try curbside pickup or delivery from a local grocer. Need takeout? Try curbside pickup from a local restaurant that could use your business. Need toiletries? Put in an order at your local pharmacy and pickup curbside.

If possible, shop in person through touchless pickup and stop ordering goods and services online. This helps local businesses AND allows the earth to not be bogged down by all of the travel necessary to order online and receive at your door. Yes – there are things may have to order online, but in general, if there is a local alternative for it, please try to purchase from those vendors.

100 mile diet

This is an old concept that seems to have fallen out of fashion a bit. Searching online for the 100-mile diet, brings up very few recent articles or resources. In the past, there was a 100-mile diet map online that you could use to determine your circumference of eating, but it has disappeared from the internet. The most useful resource I found online was here.

The basic gist of this diet is to only eat foods that you can acquire from within a 100 mile radius of your home. My suggestion would be to try and grow some of your food in a garden or pots, if possible. You can grow many herbs and veggies in windowsill gardens, so you don’t even need a large garden plot to grow a few items. You can also join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm or food co-op to buy directly from farmers in your area. Farmers markets can also be good sources for local food, without the cost of joining a CSA.

Learning to can will also help to sustain your 100 mile diet goods through the seasons when you cannot grow specific fruits and vegetables. Some folks decide to eat seasonally, which means you would only eat the foods that are actually in season.

Overall, this technique helps to lessen the strain on the environment because you are not buying foods from other parts of the country and contributing to the pollution that is caused by shipping foods around the world.

Stop buying fast fashion

Fast fashion is horrible for the planet and for the people who produce it. Buying clothing that is basically disposable puts a huge strain on the environment and contributes to the poor working conditions of those making the pieces. One of the best people to follow, if you want to learn more about changing your fast fashion habits, is Aja Barber. Check her out and start rethinking your buying behaviors. The earth will thank you for it.

Heed scientific warnings

There are, of course, many other things you can do to help the planet heal and perhaps change the course of climate change, but the most important thing that we ALL need to do is listen to the scientists. Believe them. Heed their warnings. Start following their suggestions to change course before it is too late.

As we can see from this current pandemic, there are reasons for us to do better. The earth is giving us a signal that we need to listen to the experts. Science is real. Climate change is real. Humans are killing the earth and unless we change course now we will have to live through many environmental crisis situations in the future. So – c’mon people! Let’s get our shit together and take care of mother earth. This is, after all, the only home we have!

Go forth and make some big changes for the earth!

Peace and Happy Earth Day.

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You Can’t Get Off, So Pitch In!

A few months back, the CEO of the Nestle corporation announced that it is his belief that “access to water is not a human right”. On the surface this is sad and awful, but if you think about it, obvious for him to believe. After all, how can you run a company that makes a bulk of its profits from bottled water sales and NOT believe this? How else would you make money? If you believe that clean water is a basic human right, how can you make money off of this commodity? This, in no way, excuses the idea, but it gives it reference. In order to live in a world that allows him to make money off of a basic core of life, he has to rationalize his views on the topic.

This got me to thinking about developed and non-developed land masses. It has become politically incorrect to say “third world”, and for good reason as we in the “first world” should not be putting ourselves above those in less developed areas of the globe. We should be looking at everyone, everywhere, as human beings in a collective planet. The things we do here, in the over-developed world, effect everyone. When we pollute our air, we pollute all the air. When we pollute our water, we pollute all the water. Our actions cause a ripple effect and we cannot easily reign it in. Our actions have become ever increasingly nonchalant and negligent.

I like to say over-developed, rather than simply developed, because that is what we have become. Industrialization has made us over-developed to the point that we have done harm to our planet. We can no longer continue living the way we have been or we will doom the planet for eternity. There is a certain level of development that is good for an area and anything beyond that starts to degrade the environment. We blew past that exit years ago and have continued to speed down the highway at an alarming speed. Never looking back.

Then there are those that say it doesn’t matter if we continue on the way we have all these years. Some even say that global warming is not real. Those people are idiots. Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true. Global warming is a big deal and until we collectively make efforts to reduce our carbon footprints, we will continue to kill the earth. Those that say it is too late are not idiots, as they could be correct, but they also push in the direction of futility. If it is too late, I guess it doesn’t matter. To them, it does not matter. To the rest of us, it kinda does.

And then there are the religious, end of times, folks. They think this is all pre-determined and that global warming is something that we have to endure to get to the apocalypse. They are excited by the possibility of the end of the world and do not see anything wrong with the manner in which we have been treating the earth. Here is the problem with that line of thinking. Yes, it serves the purpose of the apocalyptic, but what will happen at these so-called gates of heaven? When St. Peter asks if they were good stewards of the earth, what will they answer? “Well, I did not think that was important because we needed the end of the earth in order to get to the gates.” St. Peter will answer with something like this, “um, no, the big one said that you should take care of the earth for it was given to your care, so, you’re out” or something to that effect. There may be pre-determination, but there is also free will, and if you are making free will choices to be bad to the environment, it is likely that the big one will not be happy.

So, where do you stand in all of this? Are you like the dude that sits in the cubicle across from me, that throws his pop cans in the garbage all day long? Each time a can drops, my heart dies a bit, which I have voiced to him, to no avail. Or, do you recycle every single item that can be recycled? Are you the person that breaks down the keurig cups to recycle, reuse, and compost the materials within? Or, are you more middle of the road with your recycling? Do you return your bottles and cans for deposit, but not always recycle those that have no monetary value attached? Whatever type of recycler you are, now is the time to up your game. Unless you have made an effort to reuse, reduce, or recycle every single bit of material in your life, you can do more. After all, every day should be earth day because without it, we are screwed! Here are a few suggestions to get you started on your path to helping our planet heal.

50 ways to help the planet.
Protect the Wildlife.
Make a Recycled Craft.
Need to recycle something? Find a local site to recycle.
Start an office recycling program (this one is for me!)
Green your morning (and afternoon and evening) coffee
Educate yourself on how much it means to recycle
Keep up on things with EcoGeek and Treehugger

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2004.4.22 – the earth and us

Earth Day 2004! What have you done? I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that today is the actual day and refer you to my column from last year – Earth Day Should Be Everyday. The fact that we should take care of our planet each and every day is something that should be second nature, but having a specific day devoted to it reminds people how important it is to do something.

Another column that you may find useful this week, which is also from last year, is Roe vs. Wade Turns 30. This Sunday, thousands of women (and hopefully men) will attend a rally in Washington D.C. to support women’s reproductive rights. This rally, sponsored by Planned Parenthood, proves to be an historic event.

The main reason that this rally is even necessary is the complete erosion of our rights as citizens of a free country. Each individual in this country should have the undeniable right to do with his/her body what they see fit. The government should have no rights over individuals in reference to their bodies.

Last year President Bush signed into law the Partial Birth Abortion Ban of 2003. Although I agree that the act of partial birth abortion is unsavory, I still feel that the government has no right to limit the availability of this procedure to women who find it necessary. Banning this procedure is merely the first step in the process of eroding the rights afforded to us through Roe vs. Wade. It also continues to chip away at our rights to contraception and safe sex education.

The government imposing an “abstinence only” tag to sex education in our nations schools is another reason why this weekends march is needed so badly. This is the year 2004 and if the government thinks that kids are not having sex, they are sorely mistaken. In fact, kids actually begin having sex at a younger age then they did in the 60’s, when the pill was invented and free love was everywhere. Not educating the nations youth on ways to protect themselves in addition to abstinence is like walking through life with our eyes closed. If we don’t see it it hasn’t happened. If we don’t teach our youth about sex they won’t have it. Yeah, right.

Besides, if you teach a teenager (or even younger sometimes) about safe sex and they choose to have relations, they will be protecting themselves against disease and the risk of having to make a choice, down the road when they become pregnant. Keeping things from kids only makes them want to explore more and exploring without facts and protection is just not good.

To wrap this column up I have posted a link below for more information on this weekends event in D.C.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.8.5 – love canal, revisited

2 August 1978 – The New York State Commissioner of Health declares a state of emergency at the Love Canal site in Niagara Falls, New York. All pregnant women and children under two are advised to seek shelter somewhere else, if possible.

The fated day. The day that we knew it was all real. That our fears had been realized. There were real chemicals bubbling under the ground in our backyards. There was toxic waste seeping through our basement walls. We were being contaminated by a substance that was decades old and the only solution was to run.

Being merely 4 years old, it was difficult to understand exactly what was taking place. My grandparents house was a nice vacation and that was all I believed I was taking. A vacation from home. A day at the pool. A fun time that would end when my mother would pick me up to go home. Little did I know, there no longer was a home. Home was where the toxins lurked and my mother made sure we were moved out that day.

2 August 1978 – The last day we saw our house from the inside. The rumours around the neighbourhood all came true on that day and the reaction was quick and severe. There was no time to waste and my mother would never let her child enter that home again. Even though I left a toy or two. Even though I wanted to go back in. My mother stayed strong and didn’t let me see her tears as she drove me away from the only house I had ever known.

Panic-stricken. Any 25 year old mother being evacuated from her home because of contamination within would have felt it. Any 65 year old spinster would have felt it. Anyone with any sense of fear at all would have most certainly felt it.

2 August 1978 – The day that my parents dreams were dashed. Their first home as a couple and family had turned out to be a toxic bomb. What would happen now? How would we be able to rent an apartment or get another mortgage if we couldn’t pay off the first one? Would the government come through for us?

7 August 1978 – The President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, declared Love Canal an emergency and provided funds to relocate the 239 families in the area. Our prayers were answered, for now. This was a great relief and my parents were happy to be able to not worry about the home, but what about the effects of the chemicals on our bodies? What would be the long term effects? Would my mother become sick because she spent much of her time in the basement doing laundry right next to the seeping sludge through the wall? Would I be effected as I grew because I was in the basement much of the time with my mother?

Health problems are never connected to chemicals. Doctors will not admit that a chemical substance could be attributed to any sickness. Why would they? Lawsuits are sticky and more trouble then anyone needs. You could have a chemical dumped on you while walking down the street and there would be a way for the doctors to turn it around on you. It would be your fault for walking down the street at that particular time and therefore, your sickness was caused by you.

This is not to say that some doctors may concur that certain illnesses can be attributed to chemical factors, they just don’t want to committ to that on a personal level with their patients.

Take a drive through Love Canal and notice the signs. “Deaf Child Area” on every street. Coincidence? Practically every home had a child or adult with a medical problem. Birth defects ran rampant for citizens in this small section of Niagara Falls.

This weekend there were several events involving the Love Canal mouthpiece, Ms. Lois Gibbs. She came back into town for a rare visit to give toxic tours of Love Canal and other dumpsites in Western New York. Ms. Gibbs fled from the scene after the evacuations, but her voice was still loud and clear. She continued to fight for the rights of the residents, she just did it from a safer place. Unfortunately, when Ms. Gibbs visits Niagara Falls, she brings negative attention to the area. She gets to go home, but there are still residents in other areas of the city other than Love Canal. This has become a downtrodden area and bad publicity is not the solution.

One Superfund site and the whole city gets a bad rap. Not to say that there are not other areas in Niagara Falls that needed cleanup, but they have been contained. It is not the best idea to move back to the Love Canal area, but other parts of the city are still habitable. Ms. Gibbs blows into town, makes a few headlines and then bolts back to her home far away.

In 1978, the lives of hundreds of people were changed. Upheaval was a daily occurance and there was nothing that anyone could really do about it. The city officials of the time were paying the price of city officials decades prior and the blame was falling squarely on their shoulders. They had to try and right the wrongs of the past. They had to see through the eyes of the families that were effected.

2 August 1978 – The officials saw. The people were set free from a life of contamination. The eyes of the world were opened and millions of people were exposed to something that they could not believe. The country was better for it. The citizens were united because of it. The world is wiser from it.

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2003.4.25 – earth day should be every day

22 April 1970. The first national celebration of Earth Day. Since that time, Earth Day has evolved into Earth week and really taken shape in the grassroots community. Tree plantings, rallies, and festivals are just the tip of the iceberg and this year is certainly no exception.

Being from an area of toxic waste, I am well aware of the effects of chemicals on living things. Last year I wrote a two-part column on Love Canal, the area of Niagara Falls, New York where I spent the first few years of my life. To learn more about Love Canal click here and here. There will certainly be more to the Love Canal Saga, but I will save that for later in the summer. Right now I want to focus on Earth Week and the things we can do to make mother earth happy and healthy again.

Plant a tree!
This seems to be the most popular way to celebrate Earth Week. Planting trees helps to restore the natural eco-system of our planet and keep the oxygen flowing in the environment. We give trees love, water and CO2 and they reciprocate with enough oxygen to keep us sustained on this planet. Yes, this may be a truly tree-hugger thing to do, but it is necessary for our survival and the future of our species.

Attend a rally
Is there an environmental hardship in your community? Perhaps a disaster occurred that has changed the make up of the soil, water or air. No matter how small, grassroots efforts are what keep environmental agendas moving ahead in this country. Contact your local chapter of the citizens environmental coalition and join the protest! ?As Patti Smith says people have the power!

Volunteer
Helping others can give you a great feeling of accomplishment and pride. Volunteering your time and efforts toward the common goal of saving the earth can make you feel even better. Anything from working in the office of your local environmental coalition to taking field samples and processing the results can be of great use. ?Lend a hand and feel your heart expand!

Be charitable
Volunteering is always the best option, but if you don?t have the time for that you can always give of your wallet. All environmental organizations can use cash. Most will put it to good use. Just be sure that the money you send goes where you intend it to.

Teach kids about the environment
Start them out young. Reaching a child with the ideas of recycling, planting, and keeping the earth clean can do a world of good for our future. Kids have to live on this earth longer than us, so they have an even more vested interest into what happens environmentally.

Remember Woodsy the Owl

In 1970, an ad campaign ran to get kids into the enivronmental protection act. Woodsy the Owl would say “Lend a Hand. Care for the Land!”? and at the end the tagline song was Give a hoot, don’t pollute. Never be a dirty bird. In the city or in the woods. Help keep America, lookin? good! Next time you see garbage on the ground, pick it up and throw it away. It is a small gesture, but in the grand scheme of things every little bit helps!

Make Earth Day Every Day!
The best way to honour the earth is to keep it healthy. Rather than just once a year doing a good deed, we need to learn how to help out everyday! Making earth day a daily and weekly activity can do wonders for this great planet!

Whatever you decide to do this weekend to end our Earth Week festivities, remember that the earth thanks you for every little thing that reverses the effects from so many technological years. We made it this way and now it is time to turn it around! What will I be doing this Earth Day Weekend? Attending a rally ofcourse! Ralph Nader and Patti Smith will be there! If you want to check out where I will be, click here!

Peace,
Hippiegrrl

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2002.9.12 – love canal, 25 years later, the saga continues

Before we dive in…this is a continuing piece. The previous entry gave a history of Love Canal and it can be found in my archives under “My Life and Love Canal…Part 1”. So…without further ado…away we go…

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the evacuations at Love Canal. My family was one of the first to leave the area and it was an extremely traumatic experience at the time. Being a 4 year old, I didn’t have a complete grasp of the situation, but now I have come to realize the magnitude of it all.

I recently took a drive around what used to be my “old neighbourhood”. It is chilling to see that the 5 blocks in which my home and, what would have been, my grade school are fenced off. After the evacuation of all the families in Love Canal, the city had the houses torn down and buried. A fence was erected around the area and ominous signs were posted displaying the tag lines “warning, dangerous area, keep out” and the like.

To think that people lived here, that they raised children here, is sad and difficult to comprehend. How could the toxic contamination of 400 families go on for so long unchecked? What has become of this area now?

The funny (in a morbid sort of way) part of the story relates back to one of the best movies of the 1980’s… In the film “Tootsie”, Bill Murray plays a struggling writer who is the roommate of Dustin Hoffman’s main character. The play that Murray’s character is writing is called, “The return to Love Canal” and it depicts a family that moves back to the ill-fated area after a “clean-up” has taken place. Hoffman’s agent in the film, played by Sydney Pollack, comments to Hoffman that the play concept is far fetched because “who wants to see a play about a family who moves back to Love Canal…it isn’t realistic…nobody will ever move back there…”.

The irony is that people have moved back. The city told residents that the other side of the cross street (Colvin Boulevard) that runs through the site was safe to return to. Many houses were restored and sold for low mortgage value, which sounds like the cycle repeating. The same thing occured in the 70’s, when the city put up low income housing on the most detrimental part of the land and didn’t warn any of the residents of the dangers their homes may possess.

An interesting side note to my journey through the modern Love Canal area is that a brand new apartment complex was constructed a few years ago on the opposite corner from the fenced in area. This complex is a senior housing community and when these old folks sit on their back porches, they have a fantastic view of the dumpsite. I guess that the city feels that these individuals are getting near the end, so a few chemicals shouldn’t matter now…Morbid, I know, but likely. After all, the city and school board of Niagara Falls built a grammar school and homes right on top of the site in the 70’s, so why should anything change now.

Overall, my drive through the “old neighbourhood” gave me an eerie feeling. I have looked at several maps of the entire expanse of Niagara Falls, New York and noted that Love Canal is not the only dumping ground in this old industrial town. Any day now, the whole city could turn into a dump, and it wouldn’t be a big surprise, but the area that used to be my home is empty and fenced off, giving a chill to any Sunday driver who may venture there.

Don’t worry…my next entry will be more light-hearted. At least, as light-hearted as is possible for me. I just thought that it was useful to let people know what happened back then and to show the magnitude of something that has been buried in the press ever since. Next year will be 25 for us evacuees and it is about time somebody started talking about it! Lois Gibbs has been talking for years, but one woman just isn’t enough. Former residents need to stand up and let the world know what happened to them. We need to remember, so that it never EVER happens again!

peace!
hippiegrrl

please check out the links below to find out other ways you can be an active member of society (or activist for short).

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2002.9.3 – my life and love canal part 1

On the 13th of November 1974, Karen Silkwood, a union member and activist hero, was run off the road in a mysterious “one car crash”.

One day earlier, on the 12th, I was born in a sleepy suburban area of Niagara Falls, New York. At the time it was called LaSalle, but would come to be known, over the world, as Love Canal.

Was it coincidence or fate, that I would be connected in some way to both of these events in history?

Until now, I have been mainly an armchair activist. Doing research and complaining about the circumstances surrounding me, but not really making an effort to do anything substantial to change the world, as it were.

After some time searching and realizing that it may be destiny that I am connected to both a plutonium plant worker/union martyr and one of the most horrific incidents of toxic waste poisoning in history, I feel that it is now, finally, my time to stand up for what I believe and start doing something about it.

This piece (in 2 parts) is my first act of trying to put across to people who probably have no idea about the events of 1978 and 1979 in Niagara Falls exactly what happened and why we need to prevent things like this from happening in the future.

Let me begin first by giving you a small synopsis of the events in Love Canal. It seems odd to me (because I lived through this) that people don’t seem to know what love canal was. Many people on the internet (from extensive researching I have conducted) seem to think that it either never happened (ala urban myth) or that it wasn’t that serious.

Background: In 1898, William T. Love had the grand idea of digging a canal to connect the Upper and Lower Niagara River to use as a conduit for hydro-electric power. This was quite the undertaking for the time period and this canal would have brought great things to the city of Niagara Falls. However, as many projects ended up in this era, Mr. Love’s canal was never to be finished. Essentially, he ran out of dough. So, he decided to sell the canal to the chemical company in the area (Hooker Chemical) who would in turn use the canal to dump over 20,000 different types of chemical compounds. Being that the base of the canal was clay and the cap that Hooker placed on top was the same, there would have been no problem whatsoever with the dump.

Enter the Niagara Falls School Board.

During the baby boom era, Niagara Falls was growing faster than people could imagine. The school board needed more land and decided to acquire the canal property to build a grade school and several ranch house units. Hooker sold the property to the school board for a token $1 and stipulated in the contract that there was to be no digging deeper than 4 feet into the ground.

Let me pause here to state that although chemical companies are usually held culpable for their actions, Hooker was very thorough when looking at future problems and their involvement. Many times during construction at Love Canal, representatives from Hooker warned the city government of future problems, but the city wanted to build up the population and didn’t seem to care about future consequences. This, by no means, should be assumed to be an “okay” from me for the Hooker Chemical company policies. The problem with the situation is that in the early twentieth century, America was beginning to produce more and more chemicals to help us supposedly live better (“better living through chemistry”) and disposal tactics were not quite up to par.

Continuing the story…after the school and homes were built, families began moving in to these beautiful new residencies. This was a model community in the fifties and the residents had no idea what was lurking under the surface. However, soon enough strange things began happening. Brown sludge began seeping into basements. After large winter thaws residents could smell strange scents in the air that seemed to be of the chemical variety, but they didn’t think anything of it. After all, why would the city put it’s residents in any danger?

This is the big question? Why?

In 1978 everything came to a head. It was August and the cap was beginning to subside on the dump. This brought about large quantities of chemicals in our backyards, in holes which we presumed were “mole holes” but in reality were holes that had been eaten out from underneath the surface by such lethal agents as the dreaded dioxin.

To wrap up this portion of my posting, the state government became involved and evacuated 400 families in the area and closed down the 99th street grade school, which sat directly on top of the main dump area. We were forced to find alternate housing and were basically afraid for our lives.

My parents were shocked to find out that their idealic home and life was about to be ripped apart due to the travesties of the city government.

That is probably enough for now. I will continue with the story on my next entry, but until then please view the links below to see what you can do to help out present environmental problems.

peace –
hippiegrrl

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Slackers Unite!

Troy: what happened to your normal clothes?
Michael: wow! Lelaina, look at you. You look…where’d you get that dress?
Lelaina: Oh, um… I don’t know. I just bought it. But I think I’m gonna go change because…
Michael: No, don’t. You look beautiful. You look like… You look like…
Troy: A doily.
Lelaina: I’m gonna change.
Michael: No, don’t change.
Troy: And don’t go thinking for yourself either, Lainie.

[scene from “Reality Bites”, universal pictures, 1994]

The Art Linklater film “Slacker” has been considered the generation-x answer to “Easy Rider”. Although it is not a road movie, it most definitely defined (or redefined) a generation. If this is truly the case, then we must also consider the movie “Reality Bites” as a defining moment in cinema history for gen-x. Both movies depict a world in which the most intelligent and creative among us become lazy and complacent. In “Reality Bites” the main character, the valedictorian of her graduating class at university, ends up having to work a minimum wage job to be able to make ends meet. Her roommate, who has also completed university, works at the gap and their friend, who has only one class left to finish, would rather loaf on a couch than complete his degree. Philosophically, what is the point of the piece of paper? That is the question asked in these movies and, unfortunately, they were not just defining a generation, but also foreshadowing the future. Smart people with no direction.

How can we better understand our current circumstances through movie depictions of our generation. Of course, we are not characters in a movie, but some movies strike right at the heart of real, living, breathing, humans. The characters in “Reality Bites” are not 2-dimensional caricatures, but fully formed characters. People that we, off the screen, can actually relate to and maybe see in others of our generation. Generation-x, that is. Those of us between the hippies and the hipsters. Those of us born in the 70’s who have really tried to make this country work for us. We are the main demographic for advertising now and we actually have always been. We grew up with MTV, but had to work for our media. We are the generation that was raised with sound bites and short attention spans, but didn’t have ADHD diagnoses to blame for our problems in school or life. We were told to try harder, not take the easy way out by popping a pill. If we wanted to talk on the phone we had to dial a number, but we have also adapted to our current surroundings. Generation-x may be considered a lost generation, now, looking back, but we are still here. We carry with us all the debt the 80’s created and the disillusionment of the 90’s. We carry the weight of the baby boomers as they move into social security years and the burdens of the hipsters who steal away our chances at success in new media industries, even though we were on the forefront of those technologies.

An outcome of slackerdom, or simple complacency, is the pull to stay in one decade. For gen-x, that decade would be the 90’s and, believe me, I have that bug. I would love to wake up at noon each day, go to a coffeehouse, hang out and read a good book, walk back home, stopping along the way to pick up a few items for dinner, and then work, after dinner, on a book or a libretto or something creative that pays the bills. Writing this blog and getting paid for it. Making espresso and getting paid for it. Reading and writing and getting paid for it. But getting paid enough to afford the things I need and want, not scrounging. Back to the days of $1.13 gallons of gas and free meals, 29 cent stamps and Fiona Apple. Back to The Counting Crows and Jewel and Puff Daddy. When Kurt and Left Eye, Biggie and Aaliyah, Tupac and Layne were alive. Back in the day.

So how can we make the 90’s happen in the teens? First things first. Find a job that makes you happy. Never settle for doldrums. If you have to scrimp and save and scrounge for a bit to get to where you want to be professionally it will be more than worth it in the end. Working a job you hate just to pay the bills ends you up a bitter person with a sad life. You will look back and only see the paychecks, not good times. Once you are on the road to a better existence though work happiness everything will look sunnier. Each morning will be one that you want to rise to the occasion for, not a struggle to get out of bed.

Next – stop beating yourself up for the things that you have not done or may not do that others wish you would do. Your life is your own and if you do not live it the way you want you will be unhappy in the end. You are living for you, not anyone else, and you have to put your needs and wants first, not those of others. You cannot take care of others unless you take care of yourself first. You cannot love others unless you love yourself first. This includes having children. Children are a huge responsibility and if you are not personally ready to enter into the realm of parenthood it is never a good idea to move forward. Let go of the things that people say or request of you and move forward with what YOU want. Positivity and moving toward goals will bring you everything you really want in the end and the guilt of children not being in the equation has to be let go of in order to move forward. You only get one life so you should live it how you want and not how others think you should.

Finally – always make time to be creative. If you have a talent, use it. The spent doing the things you love will make you a better person. Time spent alone, concentrating on a creative outlet wil make you a stronger and more well rounded individual. Always keep your mind open to new things and do not dismiss the opinions of others. You do not have to agree, but you should at least listen. From one human to another, this is all we really want from each other. To be heard.

So, maybe being from gen-x is not the worst thing in the world. We have a good handle on the future, based on the past, and we are able to overcome obstacles. Environmental issues? No problem! We will reduce, reuse, and recycle like rock stars. Bad economy? Please! We will downsize until things bounce back. Need a new tech? Of course! We will be working on the future of the tech that was introduced to us as children, because that is what we do. We are problem solvers and we will not quit until we have found solutions for everything. Moving forward, making the future brighter, this is what we slackers are all about. Don’t think that slacker is a negative nickname. It is the fuel that we need to change the world. And, mark my words, we ost certainly will. We should embrace the titles that older generations have given to our generation. Coffeehouses and grunge music were the beginning of our enlightenment. Don’t worry, Eeyore can still be our gen-x mascot. We will just make the Eeyore in each of us see the future in a brighter light. Eeyore can still be a downer and a doer at the same time. It is possible to be a walking contradiction and nobody knows this better than those of us born between 1965 and 1980. Go go gen-x! Rock it out and leave the boomers and the millenials in your dust!

Peace and Happy Fixing!
Chantale aka hippiegrrl

Links apropos
so maybe the slackers had it right after all
how generation x got the shaft but can still keep everything from sucking
eeyore