Should You Be Slapped?

I don't really understand exactly why tree-huggers get such a bad rap. I admit when I was young and people would talk about "tree-huggers" in a derogatory manner I would innocently go along with the idea that they are just spacey, long-haired dreamers who don't have both feet on the ground. So, what happened from then until now that has made me feel so differently I want to slap anyone who litters? I guess it started when I first saw oily birds on the news. The cause had my attention so I went on a documentary  and reading binge. I learned about everything from the importance of dirt to the idea of The Singularity. I have now almost graduated with my AA with an emphasis in business and am continuing on with my Bachelors in Sustainable Enterprise Management.

At this point, if anyone has not seen some kind of show or article about the condition of our planet then they must be an ostrich, because what used to be an afterthought or back page clip is now front page news. Where our political ties to oil and the world's abuse of capitalism and power used to be conspiracy theory banter in a bar, it is now being blogged, pinned, tweeted, the subject of best selling biographies, and picketed about on street corners daily. Thank goodness, because one day soon the reality is going to hit everyone on the planet like a slap in the face, and I will therefore not have had to do it myself;P

I am proud to say I am a "tree-hugger" in the making. I may not have a compost bin yet, or a goat in my back yard, or a refrigerator full of organic food, but I'm doing what I can do at the moment, and I'm trying harder every day. I wash my plastic bags, I recycle, reuse, and repurpose what I can, I have my milk delivered so I don't make unnecessary trips to the store, I buy organic when I can afford it, I've got a garden with veggies that won't grow and some I didn't know I planted, I try to conserve water, I turn off lights, open windows when it's not too hot, teach my kids about the importance of our eco-systems, and I blog. I'm an activist of the web, using my skills as a writer, a mother, homeschooling and preschool teacher, and an environmental science college student to spread the word that is so desperately not being heard enough, still. Slowly, one step at a time, I am working on being a full-fledged "angel of the earth".

What are YOU doing? If you feel you want to do your part but don't care for the "tree-hugger" label, start out as a 'closet-earthster'. There are so many amazing eco-ideas where people who think "tree-huggers" are uncool won't even know you're being earth-conscious, and you will be surprised with how much money you can save as well! Subscribe to my blog, look through my pins, and check out all the fun ways you can contribute to changing how we live, buy, travel, eat, and teach... one positive change in routine at a time.

Peace out, dude.