Eco-Bitch?
Slightly serious mood today. Over the weekend I was chatting with a friend and found myself commenting on how a teacher at my son’s school who lives about two blocks from the school always gets a ride home from another teacher. I may or may not have used the term dumplin’ in my description. My friend, who is a much better person than I, pointed out that I had no idea why she might do that. Maybe she has a medical issue or a reason to be home 15 minutes faster. She was right. I had no idea what the woman’s circumstances were. I was simply being a bitch. The ironic thing is a few months ago I had an issue with a friend who was giving me the poop about having a car in the city. I was pissed and all…you shouldn’t judge me…blah blah blah. Wow…I am a big ol’ eco-hypocrite AND an eco-bitch. How often have I looked at all the shoppers who don’t reuse bags and felt all superior? Hellloooooo Needle….that was you a year ago. Seriously, people, I need a reality check and some humbling. I would love to vow to never think evil thoughts about the person taking a bag for a pack of gum, or throwing out a glass bottle, or even…wearing a fur coat, but I am only human, a seriously flawed, slightly, although for no apparent reason, arrogant human. I, however, am going to try to not allow my meager attempts for greater eco-consciousness to become an excuse for being an eco-bitch. Now as for regular bitchiness…….no promises…no one told you to wear those shoes with those pants.
Haha!
I love this post. I think what keeps the judgey side of me in check at all times is that … I fly. I’m going to India this year for pete’s sake! Talk about carbon emissions! So really if I’m going to India, I can’t fault people for ANYTHING. So I try to just make changes for myself and hope to do as good as I can without viewing it as a competition. But it’s hard, because I am very competitive.
I think it’s hard because a lot of people just aren’t aware of what they could be doing differently and how easy some changes are to make. But when you are aware, it’s hard not to think — DON’T YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD BRING YOUR OWN BAG TO THE STORE!
Arduous…if I began to list all of the things in my life that are not perfectly eco-friendly there would be a power outage. Somehow I manage to rationalize the things I really want to do no matter what but seem to have no problem judging others for doing the same. A work in progress I guess.
Allie- I agree it is hard for the simple things. But honestly…I am discovering “simple” things everyday that I could be doing better. I must say Duhhhhhhhhh to myself at least 30 times a day.
I am really going to keep the eco-bitch in check. Nothing turns people off more to new ideas than a bad case of know-it-allism.
I like to tell myself that it’s ok for me to be an eco-bitch because I’m even an eco-bitch to myself but the truth is I hate that I do it even as the judgment is running through my head or coming out of my mouth.
Jen, whose beer is from Belgium, still leaves the tv on when she leaves the room, and who hasn’t done a damn thing to figure out water usage or how to reduce it. Not to mention the new clothes I seem to keep buying.
Considering I bought actual paper plates over the weekend for my hubby’s 40th Bday, I am shamed into bitchiness-submission! :o)
I am quite the judgemental bitch too and I ride the high horse quite often (hee haw!).
I was recently judging a well dressed woman at the farmers market for using food stamps then found that she was working for cityyear and thus received a tiny stipend for living expenses. I was ashamed of myself. Thankfully I keep my mouth shut. Although I’d be mortified if people could read my mind.
I do think about how its been a journey for me as well. My cooking during the first year of marriage was boiling a pot of spaghetti and dumping tomato sauce on it. Now I cook everything from scratch and don’t judge those who buy much processed foods or buy ready made food or eat like I used to. I am trying to lead by example though in the hopes that I can finally be a trend-for-life setter.
The picture looks retro-y. I guess blue eye shadow was in vogue in the past as well?
I judge in my head quite a lot. I think it is harmless, but am not so sure.
We all judge in various areas, not limited to the environmental issues. One day I threw a rotten grape into the bushes in front me in the playground. A mom said to me, “you are setting a bad example for the kids.” I got mad because I thought it was better to let the grape bio-degraded than landfilled. And the nerve she had to lecture me!
But she was right - kids wouldn’t know the difference between throwing a grape into the bushes or throwing a plastic bottle there.
So I explained to her my thought process. She actually agreed that it was a good point and that she never thought of that.
So we both arrive to some sort of middle ground.
I think judging others and feeling superior are unnecessarily and ineffectively, but telling someone the reason(s) behind your comment maybe educational. Perhaps they just never thought about it.
Case by case?
I actually own the flip book that that cover comes from and display the less offensive ones at work. I realize that I can be btchy and having it on my desk reminds me to be less judgmental and have more fun.
I hear you sister! It’s all I can do sometimes to NOT reprimand my co-workers who toss aluminum cans into the trash bin which is NEXT TO the garbage can.
Whoops, I meant the trash bin is NEXT TO the recycle bin!
We all have loving, generous thoughts and vile, hateful judgments about other people’s behavior. How often do you enable that filter that sits between your brain and your mouth? I find I make no progress to change other people’s behavior when I let the hateful judgments out. Isn’t changing other people’s behavior the point of being frustrated about the state of the environment? Do you ever suggest an alternative that will have a benefit for the other person? Or just try to model eco-conscious behavior for others? Like “I don’t need a bag. I’ll just throw this in my purse.”