I might not have authority to give advice. However, for the past two years, I have been in the Dominican Republic having countless conversations about struggles I can’t solve, found cockroaches in the worst of places, flushed my toilet a bucket of water, and read 120 books. I give myself permission. Plus, this blog is almost reaching its destiny.
1) Take off the blinders. While thinking of starving children in all those African countries every time you sit for a meal would be excessive (although perhaps slimming), it is important to stay grounded on the planet. Ambition can be admirable but the wanting-more tunnel vision isn’t usually as satisfying as it aims to be. Going about our daily business without acknowledging that we are world citizens is counter productive and irresponsible. We live in the tippy top percentages of wealth, resource consumption and environmental impact. If everyone lived like us, ...they couldn’t. We would need more planets for all the oil and water we use and space to grow the grain to feed all those cows. We should spend brain energy on these issues. The worst that can happen is a little well-deserved guilt, easy behavioral changes and maybe a more svelte figure.
2) Buy local. If closed-eyed dancing at your farmers’ market’s drum circle is not your thing, get your food and get out. Here, I am forced to buy my veggies at a street market. The vendors comment that I must have somewhere to be because I don’t like it and I don’t linger. Farmers’ markets (buying from the grower), independently owned shops and even local music venues are real solutions to economic crises. Decentralizing a very globalized monster is more secure and increases the quality of life of more people. Walmart’s Chef Boyardee boxes and packets of T-shirts are destroying communities, jobs, and the environment like the stone killing multiple birds. Products that are local, fair trade, and organic are more ethically sound than their alternatives. Shop responsibly. It’s not more expensive if you buy less!
3) Eat less ingredients and less meat. Dominicans are not perfect role models of a sound diet. However, the amount of preservatives, food coloring and trash produced from their grand midday meal of rice and beans is close to nothing. “Eight ounces of beef takes 25 thousand liters of water on average”(McKibben). Not everyone has the time to grind their own wheat to bake a loaf of bread. Most don’t want to completely cut out their sloppy Joes. Just make the changes that you can, instead of excuses. Eggs and toast trumps an Egg McMuffin from our favorite clown corporation in almost every way. It just doesn’t take that long. A breakfast of real oatmeal with fixings is considerably better than a strawberry and cream flavored instant oatmeal package with its novel of inputs, processing and packaging (check the ingredients). Feeding kids healthier meals can also be beneficial for behavioral issues. Word has it ADHD is linked to food coloring. If your grocery trip is mostly full of produce, bags from bulk bins (pasta, cereal, and nuts for good prices), dairy, bread, condiments and even meat from the deli, it will be cheaper and healthier than the box and baggy mountain of the person behind you. No one is perfect and vegans living on soy fake meats are a part of the problem. Frozen meals suck. Just be better.
4) Tune out. When we get electricity, I can hear Spanish soap operas in every TV owning house in my neighborhood. It is tempting, relaxing and easy to watch Mario and Claribel make eyes at each other rather than think about our own lives or worse yet, talk. In my time here, I can see American technology flourishing from the internet center in my very town. Media can be cool, useful for great change, and straight up fun. However, our favorite tech indulgences are also addictive, a huge waste of time and impacting children in very big ways. I think it is one of those less is better things like makeup or certain spices. Four media hours per day is better than the kids’ current eight. If 64% of Americans didn’t have the TV on when they had dinner (Reinberg), we might actually enjoy the meal more.
5) Be nice. We won’t ever regret restraining our road rage, bringing cookies to a picnic with a friend, or complimenting an author. The argument that altruism doesn’t exist because doing good things is too self-satisfying is exactly why we should do it. Showing kindness is rewarding for everyone involved. In my time here, I have been the recipient of tiny strong cups of coffee, home-made juice, large vegetables, and dishes often including special fish, chicken, or salami which I have to swallow with a fake smile (because I am normally a vegetarian). I have met astounding generosity and tenderness from people who have much less than me. While it may be humbling, it makes sense. They depend on each other more. Families are the units of support and individualism and privacy are prioritized less. Dominicans or any other group of people are not inherently nicer or better. Everyone is greedy, moody and selfish. Try to reign the beast and be open-hearted!
6) Volunteer. My Peace Corps friends and I complain when people in our communities want things but don’t show up for the meeting to work for it. One might ask when we have attended a town or neighborhood meeting in the U.S. The embarrassing answer is usually that most of us haven’t done much of that and may not even know what there is to do. How much more time do we spend talking about local problems than actually doing anything to change them? Community service falls into the category of things we don’t do even though studies show it makes us happier. Play cards with the elderly, plant trees, write poetry with a veteran, organize cans, read to ESL kids, find your thing. Do it because you can.
When lecturing runs its course, I have more to say. Thank you for donating to the filter project! We have enough for 35 families to drink pure water and there is still time to donate as more filters can be bought. We gave one class, we have seven filters delivered and the others ordered. As my service is coming to a close, I am giving away my ant-eaten clothing and pulling myself out of my projects. I am helping my faithful art students plan their own art camp for this summer. They are also planning my going away party complete with invitations, a choreographed dance and special meat pie. Leaving here will be wrenching and tearful but I am also so excited. After 2 years and 2 months, I get to fly to Seattle and spend the summer with my family. In doing the Peace Corps, I sacrificed things like being with my nieces for huge chunks of their lives. In the fall, I will move to Connecticut to study in a Master’s program at Yale’s School of Public Health to study Epidemiology of Microbial Disease... fancy.
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I like this list. One caveat I'd like to add is "buy local; buy seasonal." The buying local movement has the possibility to be detrimental if it isn't done right. If strawberries aren't grown in your region, that probably means the soil isn't right for it. So buying strawberries locally becomes unhealthy for the environment. Similarly, if it isn't the season for oranges, or asparagus, or whatever, that means it will take a toll on the soil to produce those items during the off-season. If you live in a desert area, or a place that gets very little sunshine, you should probably just let Idaho grow your potatoes and Iowa grow your corn.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing up your service, and on the MPH program at Yale. I'm actually doing the opposite order of things as you. I'll be graduating with my MPH in 3 weeks, and heading to the DR in August. Good luck!