This morning, my neighbors were working in their backyard and listening to music -- some really rusty, sweet jazz, which was loud enough to drift in through my open window.
It was a pretty simple thing and totally serendipitous, but somehow it changed everything about my day, for the better. And I think, in some ways, greening your home should work in that same way.
Making your home green is first about doing the best thing for the earth, but it should also improve your quality of life.
As you remove toxic materials from your home, or cook organic meals, or start composting, or even just recycle more meticulously, you should feel a change in your home -- a real touchy-feely, mumbo-jumbo-ey kind of shift.
In my experience, it can be very subtle but also very powerful.
I recently spent some time sifting through all the old cleaning supplies under my sink. I separated the good from the bad, looked into the hazardous waste removal service in Berkeley, and made a list of the non-toxic cleaners I might need. It took less than 30 minutes, but it changed something: I feel better in my kitchen now that that stuff is on its way out.
This morning, I loved being in my apartment: It had something to do with the music, but it also had something to do with the way I now think about, and care for, the space I occupy.
Sometimes making green decisions takes a bit of effort, and a little investment of time and money. But I do think, especially on mornings like this one, that it pays off on a personally tangible level, in a way you might not expect.
In other words, it's been a good day.
How does greening your home make you feel? Have you noticed a change in your quality of life?
Image: (Not my kitchen, but I wish it was) via tannie annie on flickr
(Re-edited from a post originally published on 08.17.2007)
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Comments (5)
I feel the same way. Whenever I open up a cabinet, whether it be in the kitchen or bathroom, and see things inside that aren't laden with chemicals and toxins, I feel instantly better. Not having to clutter an inch of my apartment with plastic bags (since I strictly use canvas) is amazing-- there aren't any eyesores. I've lived in my place for almost a year, and haven't had to change the CFLs. Just the little, everyday things I encounter in my tiny home, the conscious decisions I make to be kinder to the earth and to live a more basic life, make me feel like I'm actually making a difference.
Hmm, my neighbors just listen to rap...
I've been slowly adding cast iron cookware and glass storage containers back into my kitchen. I'm buying older items - thrift store prices are easier on the budget, and the cast iron comes with some seasoning on it - and as they work into my kitchen and our home, I find I relax more when I come home after work and enjoy our time here more.
It's an intangible investment in quality of life, and the rewards are far more than the effort given.
I feel like since I started greening my home, it feels more like a home and less like a place I keep my stuff. I think anyone who's done the AT Cure will know what I mean - investing time and energy in the place where you come to relax and recharge makes a psychological change. Green changes are very satisfying ones to make - it's valuing quality over quantity and speed.
I feel like it is small baby steps that I take but it make a deeper impact in the fact that my children are learning these new thing I try and it becomes a part of them. We may only be 5 people but in 20 years we will be 14 people or so.