so, I've been thinking.

The whole world, it seems is in crisis.
More specifically, the economy is in crisis.
Every day, its something new. And things aren't magically getting better. The government can throw money at the problem, but that is only a temporary solution. Because, you see, the problem is us. The problem is the American Dream. The problem is that credit card companies hand out credit to anyone with willing hands (believe me you, it is a travesty that Somalian Refugees are handed credit cards without being given knowledge of how to use or pay off such a thing.). The problem is that we are all used to living beyond our means. We buy peaches and pineapples and mangoes year round because we believe that is is our right to have such delightful produce at any given time of year. We buy clothing from large retailers and do our best to not think about what that "Made in Indonesia" tag really means.

These are the things I have been thinking about.
All of it, is wrong.
This whole system is grossly wrong.
I've succumbed to our consumer society. I am a consumer. I shop the sales, I demand my buying freedoms, and I want what I want when I want it.

After praying and talking to a lot of friends and reading up on helpful sites, I've made a few decisions.

1. I will not buy clothing from any retailer that supports sweat shops. No more Forever 21, no more Target, etc. I will only buy recycled clothing, American made clothing,or clothing that is proven to be made in fair conditions. If you are interested, these stores (and more info on lots of wonderful things) are listed at www.coopamerica.org.

2. I will buy local & organic (as much as I possibly can). I will buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, rather than indulge in something that has been trucked across the country and has wasted valuable resources. Granted, buying local and organic is seemingly more expensive, so for now I am buying items that are on sale as much as possible. For Thanksgiving, I talked my mom into purchasing a fruit & vegetable bin from Organics To You (www.organicstoyou.org), and it will be delivered to my place tomorrow. I am so excited to see my bin of fruit and vegetable goodness! We decided to plan our Thanksgiving menu around what fruits and vegetables were available from this local co op, and if I do say so myself, it is going to be awesome. I plan on making twice baked herbed yams, a cranberry apricot chutney, mashed potatoes, and lots more.

3. And, lastly, the Strannigans are re-visiting "Thrift Store" Christmas this year. We only give gifts that we get at thrift stores (or things that are handmade). We've done this once before and it has been one of our best Christmases to date! I am not very good at making things (I dont sew or knit or draw or paint or ANYTHING) but I am good at thrifting and at making Mix CDs. SO my presents are usually some fun thrift store kitsch and a good winter mix.

So, these are the small steps I am taking. I think the clothing commitment will be the most difficult, but I look forward to the challenge. I am blessed to live near 3 awesome clothing recycling shops (like Buffalo Exchange) and so I really cant see why I would ever need to go to Forever 21 again.

Thanks to Danielle & Krispin, Myste & Phil, Cameron & Erica, Nich, and Denison Witmer for encouraging me in such actions. I am proud of all of you for your faith, your convictions, and for taking a stance against consumerism. I would LOVE to hear other ideas, thoughts, suggestions from any of you readers about the subject. I am just barely delving into all of this and I am excited to be a part of the solution for once, and I am excited to be a responsible steward of what God has given me.

So, those are my thoughts. I want to hear yours!