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We want a house. Then we want a bigger house. And of course we remodel it constantly and get more things. But we need a 4 wheeler, and a skidoo, and a truck and , and, and… The old ones are not in style anymore. So we need more. Better get better stuff. And more of it. We live in a materialistic world. And we don’t need Madonna or Barbie to tell us that.

The car salesman knows this as well. So does their advertisement department. Media exploits it. I bet you never watched t.v. without tons of car commercials. You can’t drive that dump, you need to drive this. You’ll impress the neighbours, you’ll look really good in our car.( Betch ya’ never heard that line before!) Of course! Subliminal advertising….they get you all the time.

Kids are famous for this.  T.V. tells them they need to have the latest gadget, so they pester their parents. And what do we do? We buy them more and better and bigger. And then they grow up and repeat the cycle. (….and we think the kids have too much stuff. Who’s in charge anyway?)

As I looked around our dump last week, getting rid of all the toys that the kids no longer used, something miraculous happened. I opened my eyes and realized the scope of our environmental mess.(No, really!). Our landfills are full of good things. But people were just bored of them. They renovated in a different colour. Styles changed , they needed new stuff. Kids have grown out of their stuff, new things have replaced them. And we are a small community. Imagine Toronto’s landfills? Wow! Want something bigger , better….go visit the dump. How many people go to bring their junk to the dump, and come home with more stuff? (…and you laugh.)

It may not be classy, or organized in isles, or sanitary, but guaranteed, it will be there. Yes, we are a materialistic society, and sadly a disposable society. Something I am grateful for, I learned in Kolinski’s economic university classes, ( and I thought economics was useless)... People are never satisfied. The more they have , the more they want. The Law of Supply and Demand. Isn’t it true?

Don’t shake your head. Economists know this.  But so do your kids! Deep down, you know it too. But I deserve it. I need a 4 wheeler. I need a skidoo. I need a double garage to put it in. I need, I need. I want more. Sooner or later the justification falls short of the desire….until maybe you take a ride to the dump. And realize that we already have too much stuff!  And insanely, that desire to have more, is endless. When you think you’re satisfied and you have everything, something else catches your eye. Something different, bigger, better….

Then you start to think about landfill implications. Yes those water bottles, and ‘forever in a landfill’. The greenhouse gases, global warming, our next generation. Suddenlly, it’s no longer ‘out there’. The problem is ours. We need to take ownership and personal responsibility . We need to ask ourselves the question… Do we really need a new vehicle? Or can we maximize it’s life for 7 or 8 yrs instead of disposing of it every 3 or 4. Do we need all these clothes? Gadgets? Trinkets? Stuff? And yes, junk? I think not.

Along with personal development courses that stress personal responsibility, perhaps a trip to the local dump will help kids realize the major epidemic of modern lifestyles. It brings it home. Clarifies it right before your eyes. The problem is in our own backyard. Can’t blame other people for the way we live our lives.  We need to take ownership. We have to make the right choices. And we need to start now.

Learn the meaning of efficacy. Go ahead, look it up. Its means producing the desired effect. I know I save three bags of garbage a week, by composting my veggies/fruit, coffee grounds and egg shells, recycling the cans, and plastic, and burning the paper in my fireplace. I use paper bags for groceries, and trying to remember to bring them to other shopping stores. I am washing with cold water and using my clothesline. Lights and t.v’s are turned off when not in use. And what are you doing to help save the environment, OUR environment, our world , our values?

By doing this, I am setting an example for my kids. They are reducing, reusing and recycling. They are ‘making do’ with what they have. Yes kids want some trendy things, but does a 9 yr old really need a double closet, and a wardrobe, and three pull-out bins and a dresser to house her clothes? … Yes, mom is learning a lesson along the way.

As a child , I had many things, many clothes, lots of stuff. Lots of waste. I decided I don’t want to continue the cycle. Decided to change old misleading beliefs I held that don’t serve me. We won’t go without, but we will certainly buy what we need, keep what we have a little longer and make our world a little bit greener, happier, healthier. It doesn’t cost anymore, won’t harm us, may even make us feel better, knowing we are saving this world.

Less is more.  It really is. Changes the value you put on ‘things’. Makes you appreciate what you have , just a little more. Makes you grateful for what you have . And maybe, just maybe, the efficacy , the belief that you really can save the world…

Always Expect Miracles,
Kassie Wright

As always, I welcome your feedback