Some of my favorite heroes in life are green. There's Gumby. He's so positive and flexible--even in the face of constantly having to deal with Blockheads. There's Oscar the Grouch. Sure, he's a little cantankerous, but he's really into upcycling and making use of trash. And Kermit, well, we all know I just plain ol' love that little frog!
As you know, I made my first visit to Sun People Dry Goods Co. on Monday. Well, last night they hosted Spokane's monthly Green Drinks meet-up. Green Drinks is an international "self-organizing network" of professionals in the environmental field as well as eco-conscious consumers in the community who all meet up to enjoy each others' company, beverages, some education and conversation. These meet-ups exist in thousands of cities around the world. Spokane's Green Drinks hosts an evening of complimentary, local brews, wines, coffee and munchies at a different eco-minded location each month. Last night was the first time I attended one of the meet-ups. I had previously felt too shy to go since I didn't know anyone who was attending, or didn't feel like I knew enough about being environmentally conscious. I had such a great time, though! It was very low-key and laid back. It was great to see so many people in the shop. There were families with children, adults of all ages, professionals in the growing local Green Scene, and probably even some more folks like me who are interested in greening things up a bit and learning about how to do that in our city.
I was one of the first 75 people to arrive so I got a free reusable tote from Sun People Dry Goods Co., and we all know how much I LOVE freebies! The coffee was provided by a local private-label, sustainable coffee company, Roast House. Appetizers were provided by a local caterer/cafe, One World Spokane. There were local wines by Barili Cellars (the Chardonnay was delicious), and I believe the keg was provided by Northern Lights Brewing Company.
It was refreshing and rejuvenating to be surrounded by so many community-minded, ecologically-focused locals. I did meander back to the book shelf at Sun People Dry Goods and this time splurged and came home with a new book (something to read on my flights to Boston tomorrow). I purchased an autographed copy (didn't even realize it WAS autographed until I got it home!) of It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-friendly Living by Crissy Trask. It is currently on sale for $12.99 at Sun People Dry Goods, but can also be purchased on Amazon.com.
I have just started the book as of last night, but so far I am impressed with the fact that it is not preachy and does not propose making drastic and instant changes to our lifestyles. Rather, Trask focuses on the idea that the choices we already make and the ones we could make instead are no more than habits that we form. It is not as time-consuming, expensive, or difficult to create new habits as we sometimes fear (which, at least for me, is one big reason I don't make changes). I look forward to reading more! The added bonus is that the book has a pink cover, so those readers who are greatly dissuaded by seeing books with green covers may accidentally pick this up and at the same time be accidentally motivated to make a few Green changes in their own lives!
As I continue on my path toward leading a more environmentally-conscious lifestyle, I am reminded of my Green Heroes. In creating new habits, we all need a little bit of Gumby's optimism and flexibility. As we make decisions about what we purchase and consume and what we throw away, we can all learn to think a little bit more like Oscar the Grouch and find ways to recycle or upcycle things we might put in the garbage.
After all...
...now even Kermit thinks it's easy being green!
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