Wheel Of Fortune: An Ecocentric View

Being that I am leaving tomorrow morning for California and my grandparents are home, I just watched Wheel Of Fortune with them to try and spend time with them in the way that they like to spend their time. I always feel like we could do something else to connect with each other better... Besides that point, while watching the show, I noticed that the point of the show is to get money from an external source with the belief that this money will make you instantly happier- possible for the poor, but probably will wear off for the middle class.. Second, when people win things, trips to exotic places are usually highlighted as special. Hah, and yet, I know I am traveling to CA tomorrow for an intensive on permaculture. At least I am traveling "away" for the purpose to learn something that will eventually help the environment. The problem with WOF is that the trips are usually highlighted as "getaways", meaning your life is better when you leave your current place. This attitude reinforces the idea that nature is not worthwhile in your local communities. Third, TV in general is awful. :)

The Art Of Noticing

This past week, I've been choosing to see my hometown as a place of nature, rather than a "town" with nature around it.  As I walk along the river, I notice the trees and limestone bluff, and how much larger they are from any building that has been built downtown. 

I have also been choosing to pay attention to how connected my body is to nature; I notice that I am affected by my quality of air that I breather, how much I go outside, whether or not there are pesticides underneath my bare feet that go up into my skin, the amount of time I spend driving or walking, ...