'WNWN' is a total cliche; but it has definite weight when I hear it. This plate is from the collection of the St. Louis Art Museum, and it is 300-400 years old (can't remember dates), so we know that the phrase has been around for awhile. Do I think that 400 year old wisdom has helped us? Ehh... maybe not.
I am lucky enough to live in a place and have the means to go out and get a lot. I say 'a lot' meaning both many different things and great quantities of things. And in obtaining so much, I think things really loose their value. We live in such a disposable culture (get stuff, get tired of it, get more) and I want to really fight that mentality. I want to treasure what I have, utilize items to their fullest, and think before getting more. Not only is this a more centered or thoughtful way to live, it is also a 'greener' practice.
At our house, the area that plagues me the most is food. Too bad I don't have a set of WNWN dishes to keep this thought in the forefront! I have a pantry full of food. I have a fridge full of food. I have a freezer full of food. Yet we eat out a lot and let a lot go to waste. This is not what I want for my family.
What do I want for us? Healthy, local meals that taste good and nurture our bodies. My wasteful consumption definitely gets in the way of that goal! What can we do to get what we want? Plan meals, be willing to work (i.e. skip fast food, go to the farmer's market instead of the local big box grocery) for our meals, and use the left-overs afterwards. I look forward to being a better steward of what I have, and in turn, being able to provide my family with healthier and better meals.
What do you want? How is waste getting in the way of getting what you want?
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