During a meeting earlier this week I was sipping hot, honey-infused water (decidedly not coffee but a decent substitute) when a colleague asked, face scrunched, "So how long do you have left with this thing?" Given how she delivered the question, there was much implied. Her question isn't new, a handful of people have looked at me like I have three heads when learning of my project, but it is interesting. With our country's abundance greeting us at every turn, why in the world would someone who has access to plenty restrict herself to little?
From birth we're steeped in the idea of our own greatness, reinforced by our families, our peers, and the vast marketing machine. We wear our sense of entitlement as easily as our Tag Heuer, or our Uggs. Enough just isn't. More is desired, and less is offensive. It seems that for those of us in a certain socio-economic strata the privileges of living in the land of milk and honey has become mundane.
A good friend of mine has been following my journey and was reminded of a commencement address given by renowned author David Foster Wallace in 2005. The profound speech is a bare-bones assessment of life's daily grind, a wholehearted encouragement to think critically, and a cautionary tale about our collective propensity to move through our days in "default" mode and utterly miss the beauty around us: Life. Wallace opens his speech with a simple parable: "There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "What the hell is water?"
The tale was a summation of where I hope this journey brings me and a poignant reminder of why I'm doing "this thing."
If you have a moment, it's well worth the read: http://web.archive.org/web/20080213082423/http:/www.marginalia.org/dfw_kenyon_commencement.html
28 Days | $700 | 3 Non-profits
For the next 28 days, from November 27 through December 24, I'll significantly reduce my food choices: I'll eat only 7 foods, 5 condiments, and drink only 1 beverage (what are they? You'll have to read my blog to find out!). Lattes, fish and chips, veggie pad thai, and vino be gone--Yaaouch! By doing this, I will save approximately $700 that I will then donate to three extraordinary, greater-Denver non-profit organizations.
We've all felt the pinch of these tough economic times. Hit especially hard are organizations that function solely to help the most vulnerable among us. Click the links on the right to learn more about the great work of three such organizations, and then cast your vote. Your vote will determine the percentage of the $700 that each organization will receive. I encourage you to influence the votes of others–but please only vote once. I'll blog about my G.U.L.P. journey and update my progress daily. If you scroll down, you'll find my daily blog postings. Your comments are encouraged!
WHY FOOD, WHY NOW? I wanted my G.U.L.P. choice to be a significant but realistic sacrifice. Food seemed an obvious choice for several reasons: First, I spend a lot of money on food. Not just basic sustenance, but on brunches, dinners out, pricey markets, happy hours, and expensive take-out. When I reviewed my budget and found that I spend roughly $700 each month on eating and drinking, I realized I needed to check this luxury. Second, I think the act of eating is relatively thoughtless for many of us--it has been for me. The question isn't what will I eat, but rather, what do I want to eat. Finally, I chose this time of year for my G.U.L.P. project because the holidays tend to intensify our emotions. For those who have plenty, it’s often a time of celebration and feelings of joy can be readily identified. For those who are barely getting by, the holidays can be agonizing.
JOIN ME: What would you give up for 28 days? I have chosen to limit food choices, but that's just one idea. If each one of us gave up a non-essential item, service, or even a certain food for a manageable period of time--something that we've been conditioned to believe is a need rather than a want, and commit the money saved to an effective community organization, imagine the impact! If you decide to give something up--and I hope you do!--I'd love to hear about your experiences.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
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