Getting ready to spit a pumpkin seed. Credit: Andrea Rudominer.
Earth Day, I have serious reservations about you. But this year I didn't think about them too much. I played it my way and had fun with the family.
First, we decided to do some Spring cleaning. This featured a sizable purge of unused items, some set aside for an impromptu curbside free sale and the rest to Goodwill. As I found out last November, free sales are magically effective. It proved true again. Stuff just disappeared.
Below are a couple pics show our dwindling stash. We gave away of three belts, two jackets, a handful of books, a highchair, a ugly as hell doormat, and more. Much to my surprise, the biggest "seller" were the buttons our publisher New Society made for our book coming out in May, Share or Die. I kept putting those out, and about 20 have now made their way into the world. It felt good to give and also get rid of stuff.
After setting up the free sale, we headed to Full Circle Farm in nearby Sunnyvale, California for their Earth Day Fair. For our son Jake, this is about as good an introduction to down to earth values as you can get, no pretentious environmentalism here. The fair was on a working suburban farm run by an impressive local nonprofit, Sustainable Community Gardens. They created a fun, but highly educational atmosphere. Jake fed his first chicken. He was elated, but also a tad scared of the little beasts.
The organic cherry on top of the day was the fair's seed spitting contest, which I couldn't resist entering. Truth told, when it comes to games, I'm annoyingly competitive. Just ask my wife Andrea. She won't play games with me. I love winning, which is why I like sharing. Everyone wins with sharing. And win-win situations give me more pleasure than winner takes all ones. And while my competitive streak has embarrassed me countless times, it's also what has brought me full circle to sharing, because sharing is the biggest win there is for people and planet. That said, I enjoyed winning the seed spitting contest. My wife said I'd win, and I didn't want to disappoint her.
I'm not sure I'll ever get completely used to the contradictions in myself and life. But I enjoyed them on this Earth Day.
Comments
Neal Gorenflo wrote on 04.23.12, 11:54am:
Daniel, yeah, it was a good day, and the contest prize was a spearmint plant and a handmade wooden planter, so I'll be growing stuff too.
Beth Buczynski wrote on 04.23.12, 12:12pm:
This post makes me smile. Everyone DOES win with sharing!
Seth Schneider wrote on 04.23.12, 2:33pm:
And I get a kick out of Neal getting competitive about spitting (watermelon?) seeds.
Beth Buczynski wrote on 04.23.12, 2:35pm:
Pumpkin I think...and yes, that was the best part to imagine ;)
Odile Beniflah wrote on 04.25.12, 2:04pm:
making me want to move back to SFO... you look so "earthy" Neal :-)
Neal Gorenflo wrote on 04.25.12, 3:55pm:
Odile, I do? If I look at all hippie, just remember I'm punk inside ;)
Sounds like a good day. You were spitting seeds whilst I was planting them. I'm making a cottage garden this year. Sounds like you had a nice day.