Leave Nothing but your Footprints

This blog goes back 7 years.

My husband and I were visiting a picturesque deserted beach in Costa Rica. In the sand was a sign that simply said, "Deja nada pero la huellas". Translation: Leave nothing but your footprints. And we didn't.

For some reason that sign always stuck with me. Even after all these years it still beats at my soul. I think perhaps it's because where I came from, I was so used to seeing garbage on the ground wherever I went. And I live in one of the cleaner states. I couldn't believe there was a trashless place in the world, a place where everyone respected nature so greatly. Where people weren't so lazy and paid park rangers didn't have to remind people. Where signs didn't threaten severe penalties and convicts didn't have to walk around with trash bags and sharp sticks. Where it didn't feel like the Lorax was going to pop up at any moment and scold us.

And the problem isn't just about the trash. It's about what the trash represents--utter disrespect and disregard for the earth. Plain and simple. There is just so much emphasis, I believe, in accumulating 'stuff' in this country. At some point the stuff leaks out. It leaks out of our hands and cars and homes, creating a "large, swirling and drifting sludge" of a landfill in the ocean so large and so vast, it would cover the Continental United States two times over. It's a scary thought isn't it? It's that frightful image and the ones below that made me vow upon my return from that trip, to always be part of the solution and not the problem. .

















Fast forward almost a decade. The Starbucks cups still litter the floor of my car, plastic shopping bags still accumulate quickly and the book of Affluenza is in my 'display' book case, dusty and unread. Sure I recycle and turn off the water when I'm brushing my teeth most of the time. And of course I never deposit garbage anywhere but the can. But that's as far as I've gotten and it's not enough. It's not enough to want to do better. I still buy endless amounts of things I don't need. A pair of boots in every color. Trinkets for the house. Gadgets that will supposedly make my life easier. Boatloads of toys. And on and on and on. Where are all of these things going to end up when they break or become (gasp) untrendy? That's right, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or Garbage Island (call it what you will) that's where. I'm doing exactly what I din't want to do--contributing to the problem!

But I'm here to say, I'm done! I no longer want to experience a mild anxiety attack each time I see a garbage truck (I actually do). I want to sleep easier knowing we're doing our part, even if it's only a small one, to make the world a better place for our daughter so she can take her children to the beach someday and see only footprints.

From this day forward we are making ourselves more accountable. That's where the idea for this blog came in. We decided this year was going to be the start of something better for our family and truth be told, for myself. I have this intrinsic need to leave this world someday feeling like I did something bigger than myself and this is where I'll start. I want to take some time to really take a look inside and figure out what this need for 'stuff' is all about. If I go a year without, how will I feel? How much do we really need to be happy? How much can we give up without sacrificing ourselves? Where's the breaking point?

I'm not quite sure where this blog will go or what shape it will take. I think the most fitting thing to do is to allow it to be an organic process of exploration and reflection. I'm just going to let it go where the wind blows.  I can't wait to see where it ends up!