Operation: Optimism

I just watched this documentary called No Impact Man. This NYC guy spent a year making his family totally green. They had no garbage, so think about that: no paper products, no packaged food, no new clothing. No carbon emissions or pollution: no elevators (they live in a 9th floor walk-up), no plastic bags. They ate local food from the Union Square farmer's market, but no meat or fish. Tell that to the asshole in California serving endangered whale at his sushi restaurant... No TV, no electricity for 6 months, they used a cooler for a refrigerator. No cars, airplanes, or subways. They rode bikes. They also aren't cracked out hippies with nothing better to do. His wife was a writer at BusinessWeek, so pretty typical Manhattanites.

There's tons of easy little things we can all do to save energy, protect the earth and all that jazz. I've always freaked out when someone doesn't recycle a plastic bottle. I feel like it's one of the most ignorant things in the world, but why not just NOT use plastic? Carry your own Siggbottle or coffee cup, since it's bad to drink sugar anyway. Also don't use plastic bags, there's no point or reason, plus carrying canvas reusable bags is easier. Less arm muscle strain. We can also turn off lights, heat, AC, print only when necessary at work, walk more, and buy local food, instead of nasty frozen food. I hate cooking, but how hard is it really? I've been thinking about going back to vegetarian recently, due to food poisoning from chicken and I feel sick if I eat red meat. When I was a senior in high school, I was a vegetarian because I worked in a restaurant and that's what seeing a giant paint bucket full of raw sausage will do to you. For real though, I had more energy and felt healthier than ever. For that entire summer, I played 6 hours of tennis a day then waitressed til close. The funny thing is that once you give up something, after awhile you adjust and you don't miss it. I'm not preaching, just saying. At least I'll feel better if I'm more conscious of what I'm doing in life.

I'm thinking I need a new career I actually care about, so I stop stressing so much and dreading life. I haven't decided what though, since I've been fairly apathetic ever since I left college. The real world has that effect, especially if you're so lucky to still have a job working for The Man. I might teach, until I come up with some idea I can use to have my own business.

WHO KNOWS I'm just tired of being stressed. Everything is so pending and unsettled. I miss being optimistic and idealistic. How do I get it back?