How to take two years to fill a load of trash or get a $1.70 electric bill

May 7, 2021 by Joshua
in Creativity, Nature, Tips

People ask how to use only $1.70 for a month of electrical use and take two years to fill a load of trash. I tell them I’ll give them two answers.

The first is the one they think they want, but they always respond with something like, “Oh, yeah, well I can see that would work for you, but I’m different. It wouldn’t work for me.” That answer is to tell them specifics like cooking from fresh vegetables and fruit. No one ever acts on what I do so I feel this answer wastes my breath. It seems to reinforce people doing what they used to.

Piano

The second is like how to play Beethoven. You don’t point at the music score and say, “this note means press that key on the keyboard, that note means hit that note of the keyboard,” and so on. No, you teach them scales and have them practice so they learn how music works and develop how to play. Plus you learn about his life and yours, so you can express him.

It takes time, but with enough practice, you learn to play Beethoven. You can’t learn from just following instruction on how to play note my note. You learn to play music and to express yourself.

You learn to steward that way too. You learn to play your life with humility, honor, reciprocity, and so on. Then you apply those values to would-be polluting behavior and don’t pollute. It takes years, but I find it worth it. I can live not hurting others nearly as much. I used to empty my garbage weekly, then biweekly, then monthly, then semiannually, then annually, and so on, learning new skills and finding new role models along the way. Anyone can do it.

Practice, practice, practice. With practice you learn. Then practice more.

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