Conserve

Conserve is the root word for things such as conservation or conservative. While these words may seem at odds, I have a boss who claims that he is a true conservative because he is worried about conserving resources. He is a former Republican turned Democrat.

I find that the more I get into respecting my fellow earth dwellers, human, animal, plant and spirit alike the more I find a need to conserve. I've been trying to over write that which society has etched into my brain. That my wants are needs. I do not need a huge house, or designer clothes or an iphone. What I need is a pure earth, clean air and water and unmodified food. I need to live in a rhythm with the world around me. We have first world problems, but if we are not careful all living things on this earth will have the same major problems that have been caused by the first world. In our frenzy as a species to bend the world to our will, we have begun to destroy it.

I have been very mindful of my role in conservation. I recycle, buy used, and I re-home my unwanted possessions where possible. I compost and garden and forage for food. I get shelter pets, try not to drive more than I need to. I'm cold in the  winter and hot in the summer. Recently, I began planning a recycling system at my work place that hopefully others will use and maybe, just maybe it will conserve resources.I truly believe that change starts at home or as Ghandi more eloquently put it:

If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.

Or Be the change you wish to see in the world.