Important Things You Keep Forgetting About
Mar. 3rd, 2006 10:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebYou know how there are things you know are important, but you don't think of them much, until something reminds you and surprises you and makes you vow not to forget so fast next time?
Here are some examples of those kinds of things in my life:
Ethics. Now that I'm no longer a Girl Scout and am no longer religious, I don't hear messages reminding me to do the right thing just because it's the right thing. I do get messages to do the right thing for other reasons, like broadening my professional network or keeping my credit score up or keeping my insurance rates low or not getting a ticket.
Then every once in a while I'll find out about someone doing the right thing and think to myself that I would never have done that, or that I would never have thought of doing that. Or I'll go mildly out of my way to do something I know would be greatly appreciated by someone, and then someone expresses shock because they can't think of any reason why anyone would do that. I had no reason except that a small inconvenience to me would be a big help to someone--hardly your typical ethical dilemma.
Frugality. By this I just mean spending money (and time) wisely, aiming limited resources at the priorities first. I keep getting distracted by pretty pictures and discussions.
Then I read another good frugality blog entry. I now pick up classics on frugality on a regular basis for re-inoculation purposes.
Loved ones. Once the thrills of acquiring the loved ones is gone, it's easy to start taking them for granted, because they love you and let you, and because you get so busy.
But then tragedy strikes, either directly, or in some other way you can't ignore, and you remember again.
The environment. The facts are indisputable. Humans are disturbing the earth, and have been for over 10,000 years. We are disturbing it at a faster and faster rate so that life cannot evolve quickly enough to keep up. And we can make a difference by changing our behavior (cities are no longer as smoky as during the industrial revolution, animals have been brought back from the brink of destruction). But I keep forgetting because I enjoy life on my little broken bits of land and because I can't see the change happening.
Tonight I attended an event addressing the topic of the health of the oceans. I knew it would be horrifying, but it was worse than I knew.
Each year when I'm re-evaluating where my donations will go, I always put environment at the top of my list. But the rest of the year I let myself go about in blissful ignorance (except for trying to burn fewer fossil fuels to get where I'm going). It's not just about donations but about including environmental factors in all kinds of decisions.
Quote of the day, overheard on the west mall ("free speech" area of campus): "In fifteen minutes I'll lose my voice. [pause] Then it will be silence against violence." I was giggling all the way to my destination across campus.
Here are some examples of those kinds of things in my life:
Ethics. Now that I'm no longer a Girl Scout and am no longer religious, I don't hear messages reminding me to do the right thing just because it's the right thing. I do get messages to do the right thing for other reasons, like broadening my professional network or keeping my credit score up or keeping my insurance rates low or not getting a ticket.
Then every once in a while I'll find out about someone doing the right thing and think to myself that I would never have done that, or that I would never have thought of doing that. Or I'll go mildly out of my way to do something I know would be greatly appreciated by someone, and then someone expresses shock because they can't think of any reason why anyone would do that. I had no reason except that a small inconvenience to me would be a big help to someone--hardly your typical ethical dilemma.
Frugality. By this I just mean spending money (and time) wisely, aiming limited resources at the priorities first. I keep getting distracted by pretty pictures and discussions.
Then I read another good frugality blog entry. I now pick up classics on frugality on a regular basis for re-inoculation purposes.
Loved ones. Once the thrills of acquiring the loved ones is gone, it's easy to start taking them for granted, because they love you and let you, and because you get so busy.
But then tragedy strikes, either directly, or in some other way you can't ignore, and you remember again.
The environment. The facts are indisputable. Humans are disturbing the earth, and have been for over 10,000 years. We are disturbing it at a faster and faster rate so that life cannot evolve quickly enough to keep up. And we can make a difference by changing our behavior (cities are no longer as smoky as during the industrial revolution, animals have been brought back from the brink of destruction). But I keep forgetting because I enjoy life on my little broken bits of land and because I can't see the change happening.
Tonight I attended an event addressing the topic of the health of the oceans. I knew it would be horrifying, but it was worse than I knew.
Each year when I'm re-evaluating where my donations will go, I always put environment at the top of my list. But the rest of the year I let myself go about in blissful ignorance (except for trying to burn fewer fossil fuels to get where I'm going). It's not just about donations but about including environmental factors in all kinds of decisions.
Quote of the day, overheard on the west mall ("free speech" area of campus): "In fifteen minutes I'll lose my voice. [pause] Then it will be silence against violence." I was giggling all the way to my destination across campus.