I want to start a green business. A green business of some sort that helps to change the world for the better in some small way. I have no idea what that will look like yet, but there are an awful lot of ideas floating around in my head.
I do feel like there are a whole host of contradictions in wanting to open a green business. Is there a way to open a true green business and make a living all at the same time? This is the issue that I'm struggling with.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
A confusing, although interesting day
I'm not quite sure why I feel the need to write. I wonder if attempting to send my thoughts out into some virtual black hole of blogdom might actually help to sort all the noise in my own head. Maybe some soul out there will read it and write back with some significant insight. Or perhaps a moment of "Get a grip on yourself" will help.
I attended the Green Festival in San Francisco today. We took the train, feeling good about ourselves for not using our own cars. We arrived before the festival even opened. Some nice woman outside the festival couldn't use her already purchased ticket (Something about needing to watch her kids). I bought the ticket from her to save her losing the $15.00 she had already spent. She handed me the ticket, apologizing for already writing her name on it. I said, "Don't worry about it." Then I turned the ticket over and it was, in fact, my name - weird that we would share that, but it's true. How strange. Maybe some sort of sign that this day would have some meaning. I'm not a big believer of signs, but that's a little odd, you gotta admit.
So, there I am at the Green Festival. Now, let me start by saying that when I was a kid, I had recurring dreams, maybe nightmares, that I didn't understand until much later in life, ok, I'll admit, I only began to understand them with the help of a therapist. I dreamt night after night that no one was in charge, that there was chaos all around. Honestly, as a kid, this was a recurring nightmare for me. I'm not sure where it came from, but it was significant and scary. There was a time, about 2 years ago, that I was in NYC, visiting home - real, not a dream. There was an advertised and high profile protest going on in Central Park. It was against the Iraq war, well, at least that was the premise. I went, and found thousands of committed democrats, or committed anti-republicans all yelling and screaming for different things. Were we talking about pro-choice? anti-war? pro-environment? raising minimum wage? equal rights for women? It was amazing. Everyone was yelling about their own particular issue that was close to each person for some honest, and most likely, understandable reason. With so much noise and so many conflicting issues, it was hard to make out the real reason we were there. It felt like my nightmare come to life.
Today, at the green festival, I felt that all over again.
The Green Festival was amazing, powerful, wonderful and all that. Don't get me wrong. I think the people there truly want to do something good for the world, for people in general for the next steps. However, it left me feeling a little lost in a way. I listened to Alice Walker. She is a force, a powerful writer and speaker. I wanted to hug her afterwards. Inspirational. She fielded questions and people literally asked her, "what should we do?" "How can we make the world a better place?" We are so confused as a culture right now, we are so lost, we are looking to others for answers. Her whole talk & book... we are the ones we are waiting for... we need to make a change, right? We can't go looking to others for answers. It's up to us.
I listened to a few other speakers, walked around looking at all the latest technologies, hemp clothing, organic foods, etc. Everything is so very expensive it makes you wonder who the green businesses are catering to. Everyone needs to make a living, everyone wants to succeed. I don't know the answer to that issue, but as Van Jones said, we need to strive for eco-equity. I wonder how that will happen. What are we going to do as a culture, as a society to reach those goals.
There's so much more going on in my head, but I'm exhausted. I will continue my babble tomorrow.
I attended the Green Festival in San Francisco today. We took the train, feeling good about ourselves for not using our own cars. We arrived before the festival even opened. Some nice woman outside the festival couldn't use her already purchased ticket (Something about needing to watch her kids). I bought the ticket from her to save her losing the $15.00 she had already spent. She handed me the ticket, apologizing for already writing her name on it. I said, "Don't worry about it." Then I turned the ticket over and it was, in fact, my name - weird that we would share that, but it's true. How strange. Maybe some sort of sign that this day would have some meaning. I'm not a big believer of signs, but that's a little odd, you gotta admit.
So, there I am at the Green Festival. Now, let me start by saying that when I was a kid, I had recurring dreams, maybe nightmares, that I didn't understand until much later in life, ok, I'll admit, I only began to understand them with the help of a therapist. I dreamt night after night that no one was in charge, that there was chaos all around. Honestly, as a kid, this was a recurring nightmare for me. I'm not sure where it came from, but it was significant and scary. There was a time, about 2 years ago, that I was in NYC, visiting home - real, not a dream. There was an advertised and high profile protest going on in Central Park. It was against the Iraq war, well, at least that was the premise. I went, and found thousands of committed democrats, or committed anti-republicans all yelling and screaming for different things. Were we talking about pro-choice? anti-war? pro-environment? raising minimum wage? equal rights for women? It was amazing. Everyone was yelling about their own particular issue that was close to each person for some honest, and most likely, understandable reason. With so much noise and so many conflicting issues, it was hard to make out the real reason we were there. It felt like my nightmare come to life.
Today, at the green festival, I felt that all over again.
The Green Festival was amazing, powerful, wonderful and all that. Don't get me wrong. I think the people there truly want to do something good for the world, for people in general for the next steps. However, it left me feeling a little lost in a way. I listened to Alice Walker. She is a force, a powerful writer and speaker. I wanted to hug her afterwards. Inspirational. She fielded questions and people literally asked her, "what should we do?" "How can we make the world a better place?" We are so confused as a culture right now, we are so lost, we are looking to others for answers. Her whole talk & book... we are the ones we are waiting for... we need to make a change, right? We can't go looking to others for answers. It's up to us.
I listened to a few other speakers, walked around looking at all the latest technologies, hemp clothing, organic foods, etc. Everything is so very expensive it makes you wonder who the green businesses are catering to. Everyone needs to make a living, everyone wants to succeed. I don't know the answer to that issue, but as Van Jones said, we need to strive for eco-equity. I wonder how that will happen. What are we going to do as a culture, as a society to reach those goals.
There's so much more going on in my head, but I'm exhausted. I will continue my babble tomorrow.
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