hot hot pink

I just don't feel like cooperating. With pompous conservatives, with an inferior school system, with the suburban model. How much of our lives are spent deciding and then suffering the consequences of choices based on how best to fit into an already flawed algorithm? I want to remove my decision-making from the realm of - what job would best cover the expenses of living in the suburbs, closest to where we already live- and zoom out to - what is right? based on everything I've ever felt, learned, known, realized, researched, read?

WATCH THIS!
It's a video called the story of stuff, which explains consumerism and why we need to think harder about what we're doing. It's so well done and accessible. Eleanor and I watched it together and she said oh, so that's why you don't want to buy me toys. Chris pointed out a video he liked called the miniature earth. I think the story of stuff really explains just why the world's wealth is so lop-sided, as is brought up in this second video.

I am interested in this but Chris is NOT.

I think a lot about "do the duty nearest thee" and "be the change you want to see in the world" and I stay where I am and try to make this place better. Many of my kindred spirits from youth moved to Chicago, New York and the West Coast looking and maybe even finding a better place to be. Eventually I made it to Japan, and in some ways it WAS a better place to be, but I still feel a responsibility to improve my hometown. This feeling gets me into trouble like this volunteer job, on more manic days when I think I can do it all, but I'd like to think that, even on a bad day, my presence here at least doesn't contribute to the Midwestern exodus of cool. Besides, I like it here.

Today we met with our homeschooling group at a greenhouse. The girls had a great time again playing outside with the other kids. When we first got there, we drove around the woods in circles, on a one way road, lost again, looking for our group. Everything was so green and the light was beautiful; the girls stuck their heads out the windows like dogs. It felt like vacation. I have scaled back on the no TV rule. Sid the Science Kid and Word Girl are good shows and good for a break. What is the zen of homeschooling? I think I'm getting there. Feel pretty good after a dayful of sunshine. Might even dye my hair tonight.