and the seventh day...

... we rested.

Welcome to Eco Sabbath! Colin Beavan's year-long experiment has been condensed into one week, and on this seventh day, we have phased out everything he phased out and are experiencing life as he did over the period of several months. Today we're asked not to plug anything in, not to go anywhere or do anything -- have a true rest from the stuff that seems to make the world go round and really experience life au naturel.

I did go out today; for me, spending time with friends or family here means going out to see them. I went to the church I found here, an English-speaking congregation; this morning it was a mass with all three parishes that celebrate in that church: the English, Italian and Filipino communities. It was pretty crowded and it was nice to be among people. I wandered through the procession happening downtown in honor of the beatification of Don Carlo Gnocchi (I have no idea why he became a saint but he was obviously a big deal), picked up an empanada in the Peruvian market crammed into an alley beside another big church downtown, San Stefano, and wandered home, where I had a much-needed nap. I consider that a fairly low-impact activity... happy eco sabbath to you, too.

Some reflections on the week are in order. I learned that while superficially, my big problem appears to be food packaging like every Italian, the hidden problem of energy and water over-consumption are much more pronounced, and this is probably true of all of us. It is really hard to gauge the amount of energy and water you use individually, but it's worth trying to track for a week if only to become cognizant of your consumption. It also made me think: If I reduce my trash, buy locally, buy unpackaged foods, take the stairs, etc etc etc etc etc, and then take a 15-minute shower, did I just undo everything I tried to accomplish? Some things measure higher on the footprint scale. Is it that easy to undo your good intentions? We need priorities.
Mor ethan a week of experimentation this felt like a week of becoming conscious. I learned so much this week due to my research and to the people I met in my forums; I am really glad I was inspired to do the reading and researching that I did. I feel a lot more in control of my actions now that I've quantified them and evaluated them against a standard (the organizers put otu a guide for the week); I also feel like I can make better choices now, being equipped with the information and resources i need to follow through.
There's nothing wrong with taking the stairs, hopping on the bus, choosing not to buy when you don't have to, carrying a hanky, handwashing your clothes. Most of these things I do already.
I am excited to buy bananas again, and eat food that came in bags (granola, here I come!), and super excited to go out for a drink this week! Some things you just don't want to live without.
And with all that said, I am going to turn off my computer and sing some music. It's nice to have a no-impact passion.
Good night!