Down But Not Out

          As I round out this first week of the challenge, I'm left feeling slightly disappointed. Today's blog won't be filled with statistics about all the harmful things you are ingesting, wearing, or using (a collective sigh from the three people that read this blog). Rather, I'd like to share my ups and downs of this week with you.
          Like most things you set your mind to, you start out with vigor; with unstoppable enthusiasm. And then real life comes along and slaps you in the face. Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up already. It's just sometimes, in my head life is like a musical (don't judge me). I picture us all collectively mixing up our own cleaners to a catchy tune and sorting our recycling to a well choreographed dance number. The villain in this story are the big corporations that waste without a thought and secretly poison us with chemicals. The good guys are victorious in the end with a big, show stopping finale. Sadly, life isn't a musical and the "good" guys and "bad" guys aren't so easily discernible.
          Sunday we went over to my inlaws' for dinner, which we generally do weekly. Our lovable 2 year old golden retriever, Hallie, peed...in about 5 different places on my inlaws' carpet. She has this adorable habit of doing that whenever she gets overexcited. Apparently, seeing my husband's parents (despite the weekly trips) falls under this category. Having just started this challenge, I am hyper aware of waste and what everyone is using. My mother-in-law used an entire roll of paper towels to clean up the mess. She is no bad guy. In fact, I feel unbelievably lucky that she is my mother-in-law. However, I was mortified that my dog made a mess that required an  entire roll of paper towels to clean.
          Monday was the first time since the challenge that I was going out to eat. I was excited for time with a friend and fully set to embarrass her by adhering to the rules of the challenge. I came prepared with Tupperware (for my left overs) and my own cloth napkin. We had decided to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. My friend loves their wings and they have veggie burgers. Their veggie burgers are nothing special, but I'm a sucker for sauces and they have plenty! If you have ever been to a BWW you know that all of their food is served in a paper covered basket and their sauces come in a small plastic container. I had been thinking about the paper covered basket for days and still wasn't sure how I would handle it. I had decided that instead of my usual 3 or 4 sauces on the side that I liked to get, that I would choose only one then bring the container home with me to re-use.
          All of these ideas were great in theory. When it came time to order, I chickened out and didn't ask for an alternative to the paper covered basket. We also ordered chips and salsa and even the salsa arrived in a disposable paper cup. I didn't have any left overs (I was hungry) so I didn't need my Tupperware. Because of this, I forgot all about that darn sauce container. Arg. I did use my cloth napkin. One small victory.
          The next morning it was a good friend's birthday. Spur of the moment we decided to go out to a birthday breakfast. I thought, "Ah, this is my chance for redemption." Alas, a similar scenario played out. And when I didn't use my napkin, my friend kindly pointed out that they would probably throw it out anyhow. Sigh, she was right.
          On the way home we made a detour at the store so I could pick up my new organic, "eco-friendly" makeup I had decided on earlier that week. After spending what was probably an obscene amount of time reading packages to determine what was recyclable or reusable, we'll just say I was underwhelmed.
          It's easy to think, "What's the point? Am I even making a difference?" Well, I'm not giving up that easily. You are bound to stumble when you're learning to walk, and I don't plan on crawling through my life. I took yesterday off blogging to clear my head and focus on quality time with loved ones. I'm back today rejuvenated.
          It is not in spite of these road blocks that I continue my journey. It is because of them. Our society has become centered around convenience. My mother-in-law is not secretly rubbing her hands together, muhaha-ing that she plans to fill up the landfills one roll of paper towels at time. We are programmed to believe that convenience is king and it comes neatly packaged in an insurmountable amount of waste. Change is not convenient. It can seem horribly daunting to add to a life already full of work, kids, chores, ect. But this world is not ours. We are merely borrowing it from the next generation. Just like a courteous house guest, I'd like to leave it in better shape than I found it. I can't give up hope that we can make a change or where does that leave my children? Less IS more!