Starting With Me

It is hard to say when I started to care. I think it was a process beginning with my new housemate. These were my thoughts: "But fair trade coffee costs more! I bet those aren't really organic black beans. Sure, if you want to make a special trip to get those." My purchasing habits had always been based on buying the cheapest product on the shelf, unless it was a vice of mine (I have many), in which case the price rarely mattered. In my mind, only granola eating hippies bought organic foods. I'm just a college student, I can hardly afford Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, let alone organic vegetables and organic fair trade coffee.

After several documentaries, a house weekly tradition, and conversations about the futility of combatting big business, and the potential of individuals to enact change, my heart started to change. At some point, I realized that changing our own individual lifestyles is the first step to affecting the big picture. And changing your own behavior should not be underestimated. Some may notice your odd behavior and ask why you do what you do. Some may notice and judge you for it. Some may not notice at all. But the potential exists to change your own life, change the life of your family and friends. A changed community can have a major impact on other communities of individuals. The worst, but probably most commonly used, excuse for being complacent is the absence of hope. By doing nothing, nothing will change. By changing, you are a part of a ripple which can create a tsunami of change. Why not?

We have many choices in life. Probably too many. Last year, I had the privelege of living with a lovely Indonesian woman. I picked her up from the airport, our first meeting, and took her to Meijer to buy some essentials. She was overwhelmed by the great multitude of options for every product she needed to purchase. Wouldn't life be much simpler with only one option? However, our culture demands variety and endless options. Many people, like me, choose based on price. Others choose based on popularity -brand names. As a whole, I think we have lost sight of the fact that our choices impact not only ourselves, but others. The things we endorse, speak about what we value. If we say, "I don't care what the company does to make my favorite food. I'll still buy it," then our apathy speaks clearly. If, however, we say, "I won't buy this bottled water because I don't agree with how it is made," we are speaking on behalf of justice and accountability to the companies who believe they have all of the power. With no consumers, there would be no power. It is up to us to step up to our important role and do our job. Spend wisely. Be informed. Consume with compassion. Here, I hope to document what I learn and be held accountable to being a compassionate consumer.