Back to the Start

Not the hugest fan of Chipotle, but I love Willie and love this video.  Besides, props to a fast food chain for sending this message. 

Shoe fly (don't bother me)

I feel like I have spent the past year analyzing my buying habits-  how much do I spend, how much do I need, how long do things last, why do I impulse buy blah blah blah.  I'm sure it's all very multi-layered and sometimes I think it's best not to think too deeply on the whole psycho-evolution of finding temporary fulfillment in a TJ Maxx or Target visit and just go for a run instead.  

Phew.

However, I have stumbled upon a few gems in my introspective consumerist period.  Social responsibility has become a measurable thing and is worth paying attention to. I would rather buy something a bit more expensive that was made with more sustainable practices (both socially and environmentally).  More expensive is a bit daunting, but if you think about it, but one $70 pair of shoes that will last longer than three $20 pair of shoes -- the price difference isn't that great and you are reducing your footprint (zing!).  I found this great link here that talks about different shoe companies business practices, calling them eco-conscious footwear and including brands like Dr. Marten, Keen, and Merrell.

Even knowing and accepting these ideas, I still have a rough time. Most of the brands on the list linked above are... clunky and like you are going to go hiking.  I love Seychelles and Clarks and I'm still not sure of their business practices. Despite smart business practices becoming trendy (a good thing) it's surprisingly difficult to find information at times.  Fortunately, other people will research it for you:  Top 10 Eco-Friendly, Socially Conscious shoes.

Pile of Shoes by Misty Gamble

Questions remain.  Is it better to buy leather because it last longer and is more durable?  Is the carbon footprint of raising cattle offset by the combination of purchasing less and using the cattle for meat as well?  Are vegan shoes really that great -- I mean, that's PLASTIC and while the shoe may fall apart, the plastic itself will hang around a long time, not to mention the amount of energy it took to make said shoe.

I'm overwhelmed.  And going for a run.

Yesterday's Doll

Earlier today, someone posed the question, "What books have affected you?" Such questions are almost impossible to answer if you stop and think about them, but if you focus in on those immediate thoughts you had in response to the question...

When Lisa asked what books stood out in my life, the first book I thought of wasn't an Austen novel, or any other highbrow literature. It wasn't even any of my favorites -- Desert Solitaire (Abbey), Vanity Fair (Makepeace Thackery), or the Harry Potter series (Rowling).

Nope. My first thought was of this small book I read over and over when I was around eight years old, called Yesterday's Doll by Cora Taylor. I can't remember the exact details of the wee novel -- mostly, a girl is sick in bed with her doll, and when she falls asleep, she is transported back in time to the Oregon trail into the body of her ancestor, who has the same doll. Adventures ensue, but then the Oregon trail little girl gets very sick. The modern day little girl wakes in her own bed frantic and confused, and ultimately finds out that Oregon trail girl had died at the moment she was 'transported' back to her own modern bed.

So, I have been sitting here, musing about why this book, of all the thousands I have read, was the first book that popped into my mind. Who knows if it was the writing, or maybe I was just at the right age, but Yesterday's Doll was the first time I ever felt connected to a character and fully immersed into a story. It was the first time I ever felt the room zoom around me as I came up for air from a chapter, from an adventure. It was the first time a book made me cry... and oh my goodness, this little book made me sob.

Call it the butterfly effect, call it inevitable, since reading Yesterday's Doll I have loved historical novels, I went through a period of being obsessed with the Oregon Trail, did my state report in 5th grade on Oregon, love reading about time travel, am fascinated with stories about ancestors (actual stories, not just dates) and pretty much feel pierced through the heart when emotive connections are drawn through tangible items: rings, dolls, scarves. The things we remember. Fascinating.

And you? What book has affected you?

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You've already thought of it. Don't analyze. Just embrace. :)