Things do not change; we change

 (–Henry David Thoreau) 

We have two cars, a two-bedroom-two-bathroom apartment, two TVs, two video game systems, two computers, and two credit cards apiece. (And two cats.) When we feel lazy, we order pizza; when we’re bored, we watch something from Netflix On Demand; and when we see something cool in a store, we often buy it with one of those credit cards. That’s all pretty much normal for a middle-American couple in their 20s.

We rely on money and modern conveniences to amuse ourselves, lounge around in comfort, and pass time. But sometimes I realize that watching a Sons of Anarchy marathon has given me nothing except an elevated stress level. Or I keep track of what I ate for a week and discover that I ate more servings of condiments and Cheez-Its than I did foods that still resembled something living. Or I look at an old credit card bill and realize that not a single thing I spent money on that month is making my life better now.

Last year I made a bench for houseplants to sit on. By “made,” I don’t mean that I grew the tree, cut down the tree, shaped the lumber, treated the wood, or whittled the legs. Really, all I did was sand a board, glue some legs on, and finish and varnish the thing. But I’m still more proud of that piece of furniture than anything else in the house. And what if I had done all the other steps myself? Well, for one I’d probably be unbearable because I’d show it off to everyone who came to the door. But I would know that bench better than I know some friends. I’d be filled with satisfaction from a long job well done. And I’d be confident that I could do a lot of other things.

I want the things I do and possessions I acquire to have lasting value. I want to make and grow instead of buy. I want to learn and practice and labor over something instead of getting it mass produced. There are a lot of environmental and ethical reasons to make changes, but when I really get to the core of it all, I just want to feel satisfied. I want to make some changes so that I feel like I'm living well.

So bit by bit Mike and I are going to start living more simply, sustainably, and ethically, trying to lessen the harm we do to living things while also learning new skills and finding out more about the world and our own neck of the woods. Undoubtedly, we’ll sometimes default back to what’s normal and easy. This blog is just our chronicle of what we’re attempting and how it works out.