Treasure Hunting

Ever since writing about the relative ease of our modern world, I’ve begun noticing, with pride, all the little things I work at. Anyone who has watched an episode of Antiques Road Show or driven down a freeway and counted the number of Storage places has probably, at least vaguely, concluded that we as Americans have a lot of crap. I remember being told when I was younger that I should “figure out what to collect,” because everybody collected something. My mother collected glass salt containers for a while, and little glass antique dolls. My grandma had bread plates, and my grandpa has Santas, everything eagle, and anything Longhorn related. For my dad it's old books and for my brother…just about anything eccentrically historical…although he has a collection of car air fresheners solely because of me.

Following that advice, I had a number of my own collections. I collected posters, which I plastered all over the walls and ceiling of my room. I collected antique alcohol bottles (so I would have something to look for when the family went antiquing), incense, CD’s, snow globes and music boxes, and Elvis memorabilia. And Chevelle memorabilia, although they were just coming about, and I kind of created their memorabilia. I had all of these things, and packed most of them up when my parents made the big move to “downsize” while I was in college. It wasn’t until this last year, before my big move in the u-hall, that I really put thought into how silly it all is.

Maybe it was all those episodes of Antiques Road Show I would watch with my parents, but it became evident to me that a lot of people had a lot of stuff, and most of it, despite being potentially worth money, was completely useless. With that realization, and a couple years of practicing moving only the things I “needed,” I realized that the boxes of snow globes and Elvis items weren’t going to help me live the life I desire. In fact, all they would do is weigh me down (literally). So I took advantage of the time I had for the hassle, and sold almost everything I could that wouldn’t be useful for me in the new house. After all, I didn’t collect snow globes because I cherished them. Yes, most of them had significant sentimental value attributed to who gave them to me or where I got them, but those memories will live on without the item…or at least with pictures of the item. What really spurned these piles of belongings was a want to discover, or to treasure hunt (at last, she gets to the point of this long-winded blog).

When I go grocery shopping, I find myself hunting down the items on sale, trying to combine coupons with deals, or reinvent my salad plan with the vegetables from the discount box. This is my new way of treasure hunting. When I desire an appliance, like a new blender, or a liquid measuring cup… I know that I can live without it because I have already, so I put it on my “thrift wishes list” and poke around the local thrift stores whenever I pass by them. We have one that’s in walking distance from my office, and it’s not uncommon for me to go in there about once a week, scan the usual places and buy a small piece of fabric and a just-right-sized Tupperware, or a seasonal CD and a new sunhat.
Another favorite place for treasure hunting: book stores, and libraries especially. I have the layout of my library down pat, and make a trip there at least once a week. After scanning the books up front on display, I meander to the DVD's to see if anything catches my eye, then pass by the seasonal display and the audio books, looking briefly as I walk to the used magazines. My library does this great thing where they allow people to donate old magazines, and other people to take them. This is where I find my collage gems. Then I head over to my favorite aisle of non-fiction, containing the 500's and any and everything sciencey. Each week I'm set up to find at least one fun discovery. And it's all free! 

I enjoy the thrill of this type of treasure hunting so much that I’m always surprised to see aisles and aisles of brand new items at conventional stores. I do realize that we can’t all buy second hand, because there wouldn’t be any first hand items to donate…but I also realize that a LOT more of us could switch to thrifting, and there would still be plenty. These days I collect jobs, money, and bulk food items, the way I did those other things growing up. I get more of a thrill watching the number in my bank account rise than I did squeezing a new snow globe on my shelf.

I just read a fascinating book called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, about a boy (William Kamkwamba) in Africa who can’t afford schooling after a tragic famine swept the country, and resorts to tinkering with scraps and self-teaching from the library. I think the theme of the book could be a quote from an African blogger:

“Africans bend what little they have to their will every day. Using Creativity they overcome African’s challenges. Where the world sees trash, Africa recycles. Where the world sees junk, Africa sees rebirth. "

William's Windmill

 At my book club discussion of the book, we talked a lot about the inventiveness of the author, due to the lack of resources in his country at that time. But what they lacked in rain and political accountability, they possessed in junk at the scrap yard.

William’s story is a tale of treasure hunting in the most rewarding way. How many people search stores to find another piece to their collection, and nobody hears about it…save a few close friends or relatives. But William’s search through his scrap yard for a motor…a wire… auto grease…turned him into an international hero with a New York Best Seller. I’m not saying that rigging a half working toaster that you bought at a thrift store with some scraps you’d otherwise throw away is book worthy (although I’d certainly blog about such an adventure), but it’s that sort of creativity, ingenuity and rebellion against buying a new toaster that is going to feel truly fulfilling.

We also talked a bit about how to make this sort of scrappiness acceptable here in America. A recent workshop that has taken our environmental educator community by storm is making totes out of drip tape that would otherwise be piled in landfills. Being crafty, especially with recycled material, is trending right now, but I’m hoping it takes even more of a surge. In the meantime, I’m going to continue collecting my mesh bags and twist ties for an up-cycled idea I’m excited to test out.

If you choose not to decide...

I haven't spent this much time in a Verizon Wireless since I tried to figure out how "forest people" can get internet from a "little magic box." Unsurprisingly that time, the workers gave me funny looks and shamed me for dropping their new iphone 5 on the floor, but I more or less got what I came for.
This last month I've been frequenting wireless stories for two reasons. Firstly because Amil wanted a new phone, and secondly because I decided that it's time for me to convert from my beloved "dumb phone" to a more intelligent, useful one.

The decision to transition to a smartphone has come with much hesitation. I've been proud of my long battery life, ability to disconnect and be present when others are staring at screens, and of not requiring any new resources for a phone I've had for a couple years. Nevertheless, I've caught myself calling friends and family for directions, or begging friends to look up an answer to end an argument. Since Amil got his new phone, I've used it to check my e-mail and deposit checks, and listened enviously as he talks about all the podcasts he's listened to while doing work around the property. So often I've longed for some story to listen to while I weed and rake, and it seemed that dream was as easy as transitioning to a smart phone.
But if only it were that easy. hah!

I was very fond of Amil's new droid. The camera was much better than my trusty dusty Powershot. The speakers weren't great but they did the job. But mostly, the programs were navigable, the apps were endless, and so were the possibilities, it seemed. The more I used his, the more I wanted my own, with my own passwords saved and my own apps. Since we don't have internet in the house, it was nice having it in the palm of my hands without having to walk to a coffee shop or down the road.
What I didn't want, however, was a brand new phone. Having committed to not buy new for almost two years now (making only a few exceptions), I couldn't let myself buy a new phone, with newly extracted precious metals and petroleum resources.
The first thing I found on my search was the Fair Phone. The fair phone had everything I wanted ethically, and almost everything I wanted from an OS. But the more I read about it, the more I realized that this search was going to be complicated. The phone seemed to be made in Europe somewhere...and was so popular that they were actually out of phones and unsure of when they'd make enough to fill the back orders. Even if I did get my hands on one for the pretty price of 310 pounds, I wasn't sure how to connect it to a US carrier. Not to mention that I couldn't budget that much for a phone, knowing my history of dropping, cracking, spilling and my out-of-doors lifestyle.
So, having my heart fulfilled by the fact that there IS an ethically, environmentally friendly made phone out there, although out of my reach, I began to search elsewhere.
I decided to wait until I came home to ask my family about their phones and plans, and inquire about our family plan. In the meantime, I dropped my phone again and again until it eventually ceased to come back to life. Even without a phone, I was determined to do my research and not find something new.
Once back at home I received all kinds of advice. I learned I was no longer attached to a family plan with Verizon, so that made the search more endless and therefore more complicated. I could search for any phone and any plan I wanted, but with that kind of possibility, I didn't even know where to begin.
I searched treehugger.com for lists of "most eco-friendly phones," and saw some lists (though mostly outdated). The prime advice was to use a reused phone or just stick with your old one, unless it's broken like mine was. In the past I've always just used friend's old phones, which has allowed me some very interesting and very free varieties. I was hopeful at getting my dad's old phone, but the more I looked at it, I began to agree that it is a little outdated, and just like Amil's, it's just not MY phone...something for me to use and customize. I'm looking for a device that will supplement my professional and creative work and that I'll hopefully have for a long time. The list also mentioned Samsung and Nokia for using reused and repurposed materials, as well as the LG Enact.

My mother had taken my usual route and gotten a phone from her sister, and is using Consumer Cellular, a pay as you go plan. I looked on their website and stopped by target to look at the phones, when I was told, "I'm surprised there's any phones left this close to the retirement center." Hmm. That statement just punctuated what I was realizing. It's a great plan for people who don't use their phone much but want a smart phone for some things. But since I'm attempting to transition to using my phone for work a lot more, I would need something more. Even though mom's $20/month bills sounded good.

Since starting my search, I began to notice all sorts of cell phone plans and advertisements on TV and online (I'm still creeped out that ads know what you're looking for and target that). T Mobile's data roll-over commercials caught my eye, as did Sprint's "cut your phone bill in half" plan. I searched through my wish-list of "eco-friendly phones" on Craigslist and eBay, but soon decided not to buy a used phone that way. There's simply no way to tell for sure if it's "unlocked" or how well it works, and most of the prices were just as expensive or often more than buying a phone with a plan. The trouble was going to be finding one used, pre-owned or refurbished. I looked at Verizon and AT&T, but the used phones they had that I liked were out of stock, or there were other minor complications.

The most help I found was from the cell phone search at WhistleOut.com I was able to put in all the things I'm looking for and compare plans side by side. The first on the list was from a program called Givmobile that gives 8% of your cell phone bill to charity. This sounded as good as the fair phone, and plans started at $25.00 a month. But quickly I saw that it only used 2G, and there were some other flaws.
The next cheapest was TextNow Wireless, which takes advantage of abundant WiFi for most calling and texting, and only uses 3G and 4G from the spring network when wifi isn't available. I've been curious to find a program that works on Wifi, and this one is right in my price range. On top of that, there's a Samsung cellphone for only $100, with the plan, which you pay month to month. I'm waiting to hear back about getting my phone number transferred, but I'm seriously looking into TextNow.
I'll keep you posted in a few weeks when I've settled onto something.

It ain't easy bein' green...

Avoiding social activities because the commute weighs too heavy on your gas-mileage obsessed brain; carrying all your groceries in your hands, pockets and on your head (and then realizing the keys are at the bottom of your pocket when you get to the car, or bicycle) because you forgot your canvas bags; watching people gorge on smoked meats and homemade mac n' cheese while you nibble your "rabbit food" which only consists of onions and cabbage because the hosts didn't know there would be a vegetarian at the party; or hand-grinding food for months because you didn't want to buy electric kitchen tools and hadn't found a hand-powered one at an antique store yet (and you didn't want to buy that one you keep watching on ebay because of the shipping costs and impact on the environment)... of COURSE it's not easy being "green," but I think it's a heck of a lot more fun.

I really immersed myself into my old lifestyle since coming home for the holidays. I've sat around watching the big screen TV and playing Wii, enjoyed the warm fires and the heater set up to 8 degrees warmer than in my house. I've also had my share of traditional foods- like "green jello" and broccoli rice casserole, even though neither align with my usual eating ethics. I even went shopping at a mall and got a brand new pair of jeans (that fit soooo well!). But while I've allowed myself to give in to all these old habits, reaping the benefits of family camaraderie and comfort foods and feelings, one thing has been nagging me. It's all so easy. Which makes it kind of boring.

Most of the things I participated in either started as or still are a method of acquiring something conveniently. My family works hard, raising kids, working 8:00-5:00, volunteering for family or organizations, and 'keepin' up with the Joneses' in a sense. There is a clear generational trend toward that lifestyle. Almost all of the family I have seen for the holidays have chosen that (work, kids, house) as their challenge.

Personally, none of that interests me...mostly because of my obsession with the Earth. I don't want kids of my own, a big ol' house to clean, or a job that I dread going to. (When my dad was advising my brother on job recently, he said "it's work you're not supposed to like it!" Which is a bit ironic because he recently left the job he hated and is now in one where he at least finds some pleasure. But I had to sit back and smile to myself because while I don't have a 9-5 job that I can leave behind at the end of the day, I find my work exciting and it does actually pay the bills). My chosen challenge is to be "green."

When looking at a recipe for a holiday treat before Christmas, that nagging thought came up. "you just dump in sugar, butter and milk? THAT's the treat?" It seemed too easy. After years of substituting various non-animal derived 'healthy' fats for sugar, butter and milk, it seemed lie cheating to just go for it. I don't want to just run errands. I want to analyze the most efficient routes from point A to B with all my errands on the way, and bike to the closest ones. I want to put on sweaters and jump around rather than turn on the heater, and read stories, write plays and do puzzles rather than watch TV. I'm glad it ain't easy bein' green, or I might get bored with it. But I'm totally up to the challenge. And you get to experience all the challenges with me. :-p

Goodbye 2014, year of Growth

A year ago I was sitting on this couch at my parent's house wondering whether my plans to move to the land of Enchantment were going to come through, or if I would have to scrape together a backup plan. Now, a mere 365 days later, I almost feel like a different person, sitting now a year into what I was dreaming and imagining for myself. When I sat here a year ago, along with the questions of the future, I had a feeling- a feeling that it was going to be a big year of growth, not just for me but for my family. But it is myself that I will reflect upon in my annual review of the year.

2014!

States I've breathed the air in: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas.
Achievements: Climbing my first 14ner! Becoming a resident in New Mexico! Getting hired for the Environmental Education Association of New Mexico! My 3rd delightful year at 'The Gulch'! Changing my status from "single" to "domestic partnership" on official documents.
Passing Excitements: Getting free and discounted organic food from the co-op due to Amil's employment. Wrote and entered a 10 page screen play to a competition (results in February...). Designed and submitted a collage for an illustration competition (which I didn't get)

I saw more movies this year than I probably saw in the last 3 or 4 years combined.

• Hanna (not bad)
• Chocolat (cute!)
• Blue Jasmine (interesting)
• Elysium (eh..)
• Prisoners (ugh...great movie, but not my type)
• Spirited Away (oh wow. also not my type, but fun)
• The Hobbit 2 (looking forward to the last one!)
• Lego Movie (EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!)
• Water for Elephants (Wonderful!)
• Being John Malcovich (weird!)
• Home (we're Screwed)
• Human Stain (<3)
• Malefecent (in theatres! good ending)
• How to Train Your Dragon 2 (cute!)
• The Giver (not bad!)
• Flight (ugh. dumb)
• Georgia O'Keefe (inspiring!)

I achieved my reading goals of 1 book a month! (Although perhaps next year I should specify page numbers.) I thought I wasn't going to make it in those months of working 10 days straight, but I made up for it in these slow winter months. Oh, and not having a job for the first two months helped, too. Looking back, maybe I should keep my same goal for next year.

1- Dirt, the Erosion of Civilizations (Very scholarly, tough read)
2- Sand, the never ending story (Fascinating, inspiring, quotable)
3- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Young adult, a reread)
4- Here on Gilligan's Isle (Fascinting in a fun way. easy read)
5- Frozen in Time (Audio book whilst traveling to NM)
6- Tree Ring's Tale (Kids science, easy read, but inspiring)
7- The Kindness of Strangers, the life of Tennessee Williams
8- Freaking Green (Young adult, for book club)
9- El Nino, Unlocking the Secrets of the Master Weather Maker (informative, not too compelling)
10- Green Glass Sea (young adult)
11- An Orchard Invisible (fascinating)
12- The Red Hourglass, Lives of Predators (interesting)
13- White Sands, Red Menace (young adult)
14- My First Love (Short story)
15- Darwin, Portrait of a Genius (audiobook)
16- Ocean of Air (best book of the year for sure!)
17- Small Wonder, Essays by Barbara Kingsolver
18- Henry Miller- Tropic of Cancer (made me lose faith in the good ol' classics)


So all in all, 2014 was a year of...growth. I felt that I came into adulthood a lot more this last year than I did by turning 18, or 21, or graduating college, or having my first job.
With that said, I look forward to 2015 as a year of (relative) stability. Thus, as I set my expectations/resolutions/and goals at this excellent turning point, I expect that living in one place will greatly improve my chances of achieving my goals. Rather than list all my goals and resolutions, here's my mantra for the year.
Be the Be(a)st you can Be!  Emphasis on BEING, existing, and on the Beast. I hope to work toward a personal beast mode, which involves slaying the beast inside, and not giving into a lot of those little urges.

I hope to be at least a little more consistent with my blog this year, including a few buzzfeedesque picture lists, because I'm a little obsessed with them (lists and visual learning = love).

I hope that everyone reading this is enjoying a start to a new year with the people they love and a warmth in their heart.

Austin

Austin, coming home to you is like returning to a lost lovers arms.
the embrace is always warm, except those chilly months when your mood turns bitter cold, and my mind runs to the warmer days.

Whenever I return,  your hot breath surrounds me. Your energy of love buzzes around me and rattles my heart into action. Alas, when I return to you, whether I am walking among your enormous prickly pear and fertile-smelling oak leaves or sitting scrunched up on a sofa with book in hand and chai tea in the other, watching unique patrons pass by, I find myself in a state of utter bliss, rivaled by no others.

Austin, you took my creative virginity, and introduced me to possibilities I had never dreamed. You dared me to rebel against the systems holding me back, and then pushed me away to experience alternative systems, somewhere else. Through you I met passion, relaxation, angst, organization and anarchy. You introduced me to other lovers I would also leave behind, but gave me the courage to come back.Austin- In you I found the strongest love I’ve ever felt, making me for the first time afraid of my mortality.

But then you changed. I guess we all changed. Austin,  lover in my younger years, no longer did the simple strangeness satisfy you. You grew more popular, requiring larger parties to satisfy your taste, and leaving me and my possibilities to the wayside.
Austin you showed me a place I had only dreamed of, but then you filled it up before I got there.
There’s no doubt I am who I am because of you, Austin. I’ve grown the most away from you, but I couldn’t have done it without your loving embrace from the beginning, that always finds me when I return.

Nuts about the Holidays

In my last post, I waxed on all my feelings about giving this Christmas, but now that the special day has just passed, I want to admit and show-off the gift that most of my family received.
It's local, it's practical, it's handmade, and it's taken me about 30 hours to put together.

Pecans. (Pronounced Puh-kahns).
Pecan trees are the state tree of Texas New Mexico..so as a symbol of my growing love for this state, my everlasting appreciation for you in my life, and my evolving fascination with local fresh foods, I give you...Pecans.
As you enjoy these pecans, my hope is that you keep some things in mind.
1) These grew right out my window

in an orchard of about 20 pecan trees, that was planted sometime around 1950. We believe that this is the northernmost pecan orchard in the state, and perhaps the country (at least the highest elevation!) which (along with the year they were planted) may account for the small size of the nut.

 

These pecans are not only a delicious, nutritious snack for humans, but their long-standing presence has attracted a large following of crows that hang out and get their fill for a few weeks surrounding Thanksgiving. We imagine that they've been doing this for decades.

Pecans are also treats for families of all shapes and sizes that come out with containers of equally varying measurements to collect their nut needs for the winter. How wonderful to share such a nutritious resource with so many people, but what's in it for the tree?

 

Nuts are seeds. So the tree produces them hoping they will be delicious enough to be carried away and eaten by animals, or buried for the winter. The tree is banking on some of these seeds to be forgotten. In the case of an orchard, that rarely happens. I've combed through these fields pretty good, and anything that was left was likely caught by the crows.

 

(While writing this, I discovered that Pecans are not technically nuts but drupes, like other members of the Hickory family, which have a stone or pit surrounded by a husk).

In addition to being sweet and buttery, Pecans are a good source of manganese, protein and unsaturated fats.

So, what does it take to make pecans? Lots of water. The field these pecan trees sit in is slightly lowered, and was flooded several times throughout the year with water from the acequia on our property (a series of connecting canals that carry river water and snow run off from the mountains through distant fields and then back to the Rio Grande). In addition to water, they need ample sunlight, which they get plenty of in Albuquerque, and nutrients--which are returned to the soil through the dense Canada goose poop that so frequently covers the ground.

Once the nuts fall, which aligned with the first frost in mid-November, I started collecting. At first it was slim pickins...but eventually I couldn't walk a straight line without filling my pockets with every pecan I saw. I started noticing bigger ones, especially from the trees nearest the acequia. As soon as I had a good collection, I set up my workshop.

 

2. Shelling pecans takes a lot of time! After sending the first batch to a couple of families, I started filling my containers all over again. In the course of about two weeks, I came awfully close to my goal of 1,000 pecans, spending a total of almost 24 hours shelling. And the result was a little depressing. What I hoped would fill the tummies of many family members, turned into just a taste for the half dozen of you that get the gift.

 

Watching people unwrap my meager bag of nuts next to a monsterous box of  store-bought goods made them seem a bit unfit for a Christmas gift...but my hope is that when the holiday crazy subsides, each of my relatives will have a moment to savor the flavor, the protein, and the richly packed nutrients within this nut... In this time of absolute abundance, I hope that we can take time to appreciate the energy and amazement provided around us.

Christmas with a 'Capital' C

I officially reached that point of Christmas scroogy-ness about 3 days ago. I had thought I'd take a nice solo trip around the very local, very New Mexico "Old Town" shopping center, and just browse the hand-made gifts. By the 20th store I went into, still having bought nothing but $2.00 worth of gimmicky candy and piece of chocolate to round the price up to credit limit, I began to feel bleak.
I compared this feeling of being compelled to partake in Christmas commerce with that nauseous feeling that comes after trying to devour too large a piece of homemade chocolate ganache cake. It looks so delicious at first, and it's homemade, so you can TASTE the love in it, which practically justifies the large slice sitting in front of you. But after the first 15 bites, your teeth start to curl, your stomach churns and you try to remember the last time you at this much sugar, butter, cream, and flour in one sitting. You force down the last 7 bites, trying to savor it but silently promising yourself to never, ever eat another piece of cake, even if it is homemade. (Really though, does this happen to anyone else?)

Showing off our Christmas goodies

In other words, I started feeling really overwhelmed by all the crap around me. Yes all the pottery is beautiful and someone in my family would probably enjoy a pack of local spices, or a hand-painted mirror (at least the moment they opened it). But I found myself regretting the whole shopping experience.
Wasn't I the one just a few weeks ago touting* the entire Christmas experience. "I don't really celebrate Christmas" I explained to a friend at the beginning of the month. Winter Solstice is the holiday I truly align with. I don't even get my family presents. Though I appreciate the ones they get me."
While this is mostly true, I have in the past, made simple gifts for friends and family, and when I had to purchase something, made sure it was practical, like a planner, or a bag or tea. The whole idea of buying something just because the holiday tradition compels you to was completely beyond me, and yet here I was looking at my list and brainstorming what to get those last few people.

Clearly, at some point between the beginning of the month and this middle month period, I was attacked by the Holiday Spirit. Part of it probably came as we decorated our tumbleweed tree, or put up lights around the house (we kept intending to move them outside for others to enjoy, but we loved them so much that they've stayed indoors, draped from the rafters around the living room). Another part came as I discovered Christmas stations on Spotify (which itself is a new toy for me), and then again as I found the long lost Christmas CD's my mother has made me for the last 2 years (because I seem to lose them every year).

Proud of our NM/X-masy thrift store clothes

But now I sit here, Christmas filling me like that homemade cake, making plans for how to savor the actual holiday which in my mind begins on my flight home on Monday. Part of my over-saturation is likely because I haven't had much work to do. This is my slow season, and the more I force myself to sit back and enjoy the recooperation time, the more I look forward to those family-surrounded moments in the state I grew up in.
Despite all my personal opinions and situations, I think there's something deeper that distracts us from the Christmas message. This isn't the icing on the cake, it's the highly refined white flour that makes up the cakes interior, which is disguised by fancily decorated icing. That flour is the very thing America is abundant of...capitalism. (An interesting article on Holidays and capitalism can be found here).
This year, even more than in the past, I have seen spikes of optimism followed by checks of reality. Living in this new city has propelled that. I talk to teachers, landscape managers and active citizens walking or running through the park, and I am inspired by a clear up-and-coming paradigm shift toward communities (not communism...) and away from the downward spiral that our nation is based upon.
But then I travel downtown, or I get pulled into a whole Foods or a Michaels, and I'm dumbfounded by the shelves of identical crap that is exactly the same as the crap on shelves on the other side of town, the other side of the state, and across the country. It quickly become clear that a paradigm shift is going to take a long time, as people's habits are fixated on want, on acquiring and buying...all thanks to our capitalism.
I think I have safely let the cake pass through my system...and am ready for another dose... the usual pre-new year promise that this will be my last. As I approach Christmas I plan to make the most of each moment, appreciating the family surrounding me, and trying to over look the mark that our unsustainable system leaves on everything around us (especially in my increasingly growing hometown). Even as I try this, the truth inside me will be begging for one Christmas wish to come true.
I spend my days trying to educate people about the world they live in. Whether I'm reading a book to help me explain the atmosphere, or designing a program for a group of pre-k students to get their hands in dirt, I am devoting my life to teaching people to make conscious decisions. Whether they are "good" decisions or "bad" decisions, whatever the repercussion...if only people could be educated about the decisions they make, I would live fulfilled.
So my Christmas wish is this; that everyone in this amazing America can make informed decisions in 2015...or at the least be educated about the consequences of their actions.
Since Santa isn't going to grant this, I guess I'll have to do it myself. More on those plans in 2015.
[For another inspring and interesting take on gift giving, check out Amy Reading's Anti-Capitalist guide to Holidays]