Day One

This is the first post on my new blog at Ecomom Alliance, one of many to come. It serves as both a diary of my personal journey, and an invitation to join me, as I stumble down the green path in search of what I call “Ecovery”. I’ve been playing with this concept for a while now, though it’s still in formation, and I know it will certainly bend and twist, deflate and expand, as I continue to explore it. What is “Ecovery”? What am I talking about?

After many spirited, inspiring discussions with Ecomom’s president and founder, Kimberly Pinkson (one of my favorite things to do, with one of my favorite people), I’ve become even more keenly aware of the challenges that we – women, mothers, humans – face when seeking to make our lives, homes, and planet cleaner, safer and more connected. So why do I feel these huge, empowering surges of optimism - as I hang my laundry on the custom line that my sweet husband built for me - that are soon followed by wracking guilt over the sobering fact that the yogurt I really, really love to eat is packaged in completely un-recyclable containers? Is that why I have a jammed-packed drawer, full of washed, clean empties? I can’t bear to send them to landfill. Did anyone say “eco-anxiety”?

If you read Kimberly’s most recent post, you’ll get an even better understanding of Ecovery. It is a process. It’s about taking steps towards a better future. I have come to think of Ecovery as my own personal step-program: day-by-day, action-by-action, step-by-step, I can make a difference. There will be days of joyous successes, and with them, days of crushing defeats. Like when I brought all recyclable/compostable plates, cups and silverware to a party. While I was occupied at another part of the event, some well-meaning person cleaned-up and threw everything away (compostable food scraps and all), tied up the garbage bag, and tossed it into the facility’s dumpster. I couldn’t even fish it out, since I was wearing a dress. I confess I actually shed quiet tears over the sheer futility of it all, in spite of my good efforts, and extra cash spent for these premium items.

Yet, as Kimberly explains, we have chosen a path of action. We chose to step instead of remaining unconscious and immobile – not hard to do considering the state of the planet and the human population. So if we do step, it goes to figure that there will be mis-steps - trials and errors, times we just shut down. But we can recover. We can crown those days with glorious achievements, like my son insisting that now, at 11, he take the city bus home from school since it will save exhaust fumes and gas. Bravo! – to him, to me, to the whole movement. So much depends on the next generation.

Thus, I have embarked on my path of Ecovery, and on it await the joys – and pains - of personal empowerment, crushing limitations, and blessed self-discovery, with saving the planet thrown in. I encourage you to walk with me, sharing your thoughts and experiences along the way, and most of all, your successes! We all can, and must, learn from each other.

(If you haven’t already taken the Ecomom Challenge, I urge you to try it. It offers 10 First Steps as a great way to get started on your own path to Ecovery. And a lot more to think - and talk - about!)

http://ecomomalliance.org/take-the-ecomom-challenge

http://ecomomalliance.org/author/kimberly