On the advice of a few of my favorite bloggers, Kate and Chrissy, I’ve been trying to shift my schedule so that I get my day started a little earlier in the morning. They both advocate morning running, and I can see why: in summertime Texas, or really, I imagine, anywhere in the South, early morning is the best time to be outside. The day heats up so fast and so fiercely that there’s no time to lose in the morning. Carpe diem!
To be honest, I haven’t started morning running yet. I am biking frequently to work, so that tends to be my outside work-out. Also, things are, shall we say, stressful at work right now, and I find the rhythms of the bike to be very soothing, and I’m clinging to that comfort, even though I know that running is also quite calming for me. Anyway, my goal these days is to leave the house around 8:30 AM, especially on the days when I’m biking to work. At that reasonable morning hour, the day feels new and fresh and welcoming. The sunshine is bright, but the inferno that is summertime Texas hasn’t yet incinerated the day. I get a little sweaty during my ride, but it’s nothing that a few paper towels in the ladies’ room can’t clean up. And best of all, I get to bask in that lovely feeling that I’ve already done something healthy for my body, something that wicks away stress and helps me calm down and focus on the day’s tasks. It’s really wonderful.
On Friday morning, I took the bus rather than the bike, but I did catch the 8:38 bus, so I got to experience the pleasant quality of early morning. Here’s what my morning looked like:
Strawberry oatmeal, a new dress that makes me feel like a creamsicle—it was a good start to the day. The dress, in case you are curious, is from Five Bamboo, a company I’ve mentioned before. I love this company and the gorgeous, soft, bamboo-fiber clothing they make. When I was a graduate student, I would not have had the money to invest in supporting the sustainable textile industry. One of the perks of my current job is that I do have a little more income to invest in my values. Now, you may be thinking that it’s hardly a sacrifice to spend money on pretty dresses for myself, and you’d be right. But in a culture where speed and convenience seem to be the driving values, I’d say that our consumer choices are a powerful way to say NO to things that we don’t like. I don’t want to live my life in a “throwaway” consumer culture, so I say YES to spending money in ways that demand an investment in something bigger, longer-lasting, and more meaningful than speed and convenience.
I say yes to Five Bamboo. Also, I really like the Elusive dress in black! My wallet says we’ll have to wait on that one.
Happy weekend, dear readers! A huge congratulations to my blog friend Chrissy on her acceptance to the MFA program at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington! I’m just thrilled for you, my dear. Thrilled.
2 comments:
You're so sweet! Thanks for the shout out. Also, I'm glad the earlier mornings are working for you! I slept until 7:30 on Sunday and by the time I walked the dogs it was already too hot to go running.
I love what you wrote about Five Bamboo. I try my hardest to make smart, sustainable choices when it comes to my money, but clothing seems to be the exception. I think it's because I'm self conscious about how I look and what version of myself I'm projecting. It makes it hard to say no to fun, cheap clothes. I will try and be better about this!
Isn't it crazy how hot it gets before noon? I think I'm still not used to the way it can be miserable by 10 AM.
I'm in the same boat with you about clothing. It's really tough to buy new clothing that's been made ethically and sustainably. Five Bamboo is my first attempt at buying sustainable clothing other than thrifting. (Thrifting is different because it's the "reuse" part of "renew, reuse, recycle. I think bamboo clothing is more like "renew," in terms of its sustainability.)
For those of us who care about environmental issues, I think we do the best we can, and we shouldn't beat ourselves up about what we can't do. So keep trying! And it's okay to care about your appearance--I do too :-)
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