…opening the studio door to the sun just rising above the edge of the woods across the pasture. A few hummingbirds whiz by as I unfold my rug. And a few flies wander in as I lift the small weights and begin to do my routine. I lay with my head near the door so I can watch the delicate gauze of the clouds roll by. But soon, the sound of logging overwhelms all the more lovely surroundings. Once very seasonal, it is getting so that the days without the drone of huge machines somewhere nearby are the rare days.
The noise and all of its connections lead my thoughts to an online rabbit trail I wandered down the other day. On youtube, to watch a how-to video about a technical something for my work, I perused the videos recently liked by the teacher in the video…clicked on the video with a picture of an attractive, mostly white farmhouse kitchen…watched a few of her natural/simplicity-centered videos…learned that she is now supporting the family with her warm, inspirational sharing of home and garden…then watched one more and discovered the workings beneath the”natural living and handmade home” of it all.
There is a genuine heart for these roots of life in so many offerings these days, but it grieves me how much of it is built on shortsightedness and a lack of understanding. Can they really not feel the connection between the money gained from each link/mention/product placement to the companies whose satisfaction in meeting every consumer whim is the very reason the trees are felled in ever-growing numbers? I know the trees falling nearby will be sent to cardboard factory a half-hour away that makes boxes for all that we want delivered to our doorsteps, want often born of such online videos and Instagram photos.
I wish I had the energy and skill to create lovely-looking films for all of the women who seek out these videos that feed their simplicity-seeking hearts…but, a true simplicity. Would videos of not-so-pristine-but-cosy-kitchens with tea towels made from a thrifted tablecloth be popular? I wish I could package (well, not really!) and communicate the feeling that comes from these sorts of home ingredients, compared to the chemically-grown-cotton-ticking-fabric-ordered-on-amazon-but-home-sewn ones. And beyond the feeling…the knowledge that our very beautiful and natural desire to make a home is not so damaging to our first home, the earth.
Mari-Nanci June 5, 2018 at 11:54 am
Just the thought, of having to listen to logging, hurts.
So many issues… Such a spider web of them… If we notice how they are interconnected… If we stop to follow the crumbs, along the trail…. To not just see the welcoming surface… But notice, the underpinnings…
Mari-Nanci
sarah June 6, 2018 at 8:05 pm
I don’t know if I could bear to listen to the killing of trees so that their beautiful bodies could be made into cardboard. But just yesterday I was saying how I wish supermarkets would return to paper bags rather than plastic for carrying groceries … so my own thinking needs constant gentle reminders. I would love to see videos from you, your imagery is always so soothing and lovely.
Lesley June 6, 2018 at 9:14 pm
Fortunately, this time, I can only hear the sound of the machinery…not the sawing and usual awful sounds.
I know., Sarah..all the dilemmas! But most paper bags are made with a high percentage of recycled paper, and there are so many ways to reuse them, and they can biodegrade while plastic cannot, so I feel they are a better option. They can’t strangle/choke sea creatures, nor do they blow across the land.
Of course, the best option, and one that can so quickly become a habit is to bring your own bags. And I would love to see the carrying of a market basket become normal again. But you would have to shop more than the once a week or two I do to make that work. : )