Survivors Can Thrive!: Two Simple Things

October 15, 2007

Two Simple Things

This morning I woke up to see snow on the Colorado mountain peaks. It's a chilly fall day. I decided I should drive to an appointment I had at 11:00. But first, there were e-mails and coffee and I decided to stop by to look at a friend's blog. I really like what I saw there at the Greenstyle Mom. She had a post up about today being Blog Action Day. The subject is the environment.

Back in July, I humbly accepted the Bloggers For Positive Global Change award, started by Climate Of Our Future. As I said then, before I got into advocating for children, the environment was really my thing. I made child abuse prevention my priority because, as I said, "If we don't protect, love and guide our children, they'll be too busy simply surviving and going to therapy in their future to make saving our planet from global warming a priority."

But ya know what? I got to thinking this morning that the name of my dot com site and this blog is, indeed, Survivors Can Thrive! When all is said and done,--when I'm finished just surviving my childhood abuse and I truly want to thrive-- I want a healthy planet to thrive in!

As I was wrapping up my morning Internet session, the clouds parted and the sun came out, as if to encourage me. I ended up walking to my morning appointment. It felt great!

Since many of my readers are abuse survivors, I started thinking about what we can do for the environment, even on those days when we feel like we're merely surviving. And, so, I thought of the title of this post: Two Simple Things. The first simple thing is walk! Getting out and getting a little fresh air and exercise really helps with depression. You can help the planet at the same time. Instead of driving, walk to your destination, take your kid for a stroll, strap on your dog's leash and take him for a walk. We'll all be better off for it.

The second simple thing, that I've been feeling good about lately, is purchasing a reusable shopping bag. Did you know that in some parts of the ocean, there are six pounds of plastic for every pound of fish? Much of this is coming from our plastic shopping bags. Gross! Visit www.1bagatatime.com for information and facts about the problem...and a solution.

The next time you're about to hop in the car for a quick run to the store for bread and milk, lace up your walking shoes instead and swing your reusable shopping bag over your shoulder. Two simple things to help our planet--we can all do this much.

# posted by Marj aka Thriver @ Monday, October 15, 2007

Comments:

Great post, Marj! I've got two large cloth shopping bags I take to the grocery store with me. Holds most of what I buy. I feel good every time I used them and bad on those occasions when I forget and don't have them with me.

Thanks for posting about something so important to all of us.

# posted by

April_optimist : October 16, 2007 10:37 AM

yesn ow it is spring ehre we are walkign as much as possible also

# posted by

jumpinginpuddles : October 16, 2007 2:45 PM

Amen, sister! Walking is the best, I'm so glad you could walk to your appointment. Thanks for commenting at Tea Party Girl, I hope you do get to open that tea house someday. Great blog topic of yours...

# posted by

jewellspring : October 16, 2007 3:52 PM

April: Yep, sometimes it feels good to be a "bag lady!"

JIP: good for you--keep on walking! ;)

Tea Party Girl: thanks for stopping by.

# posted by

Marj aka Thriver : October 17, 2007 9:20 AM

Hi Marj

I am glad you are doing well. I was worried.

I've been in a difficult place lately as things at work are a nightmare and tricky. I've been very stressed and tended towards victim thought processes..."Why me, why does this always happen to me?" I hate all that. I talked to a welfare person who offered immediate phone counselling support. She told me to get out and walk - to get perspective. To find there is more to life that my current problem.

I went out with the kids immediately and walked by the sea. I saw the scale of the world. I saw I am a small part of it and my trouble at work, smaller still. I watched my kids playing and focussed on the love I have for them.

Sometimes if you sit inside and travel around in a bubble you forget to connect to the rest of the world and your place in the world and your problems become skewed.

All my love

Em
xx

# posted by

Emily : October 17, 2007 1:08 PM

I have just become a incest survivor instead of an incest victim. I would like to be a thriver, but sometimes I am scared to thrive.

I live in the country, so I drive a low MPG car. I use a string bag for small grocery trips and we have a 40 acre organic field.

This is my first time openingly acknowledging the abuse.

# posted by

redtailhawk : October 17, 2007 3:45 PM

these are great ideas! several weeks ago our cars battery died and we had to walk to a store, it was quite nice, the day was pretty and sunny and not too hot and we even got an ice cream to eat on the way back home!!

keepers

# posted by

Anonymous : October 17, 2007 8:12 PM

Em: Thanks for stopping by--it means a lot to me and it's so good to "see" you. Yes, I love getting out in nature and watching kids play and be their own precious selves. It reminds of of what's right with the world...instead of my focusing on what's wrong with it.

# posted by

Marj aka Thriver : October 18, 2007 8:57 AM

Redtail: thanks for visiting and for the courage you've shown...AND for what you're doing for the environment! Good work!

Keepers: Oh, I LOVE to walk or ride my bike for ice cream! The exercise evens out the calories! ;)

# posted by

Marj aka Thriver : October 18, 2007 9:00 AM

Well, I'm too far in the country to walk to the store but I do work with the conservation district to be sure that my farm is as green as it can be.

# posted by

Rising Rainbow : October 19, 2007 2:37 PM

Rising Rainbow: Since you live on a farm, I'm sure you get a lot of fresh air and exercise every day. I'm glad to hear you've got a green farm--cool!

# posted by

Marj aka Thriver : October 20, 2007 10:43 AM