Friday Reading: Homesteading Will Not Save You
A reader writes in asking about how she can feel effective, after witnessing pesticides being used on her neighbor's lawn.
Hey lovely readers,
I wanted to begin today’s roundup of reading with a beautiful note and question from a reader, and my answer. I hope you find this helpful.
Hi Alden, I love your work. I feel very passionate about all of the things you write about. I have a young daughter and now feel even more passionate about standing up for what is right. I currently live in Wilmington, NC, a southern, fairly environmentally unaware city. I saw my neighbors lawn care worker spraying round up about 15 feet from where my daughter plays and it enraged me. It left me upset to tears thinking of how we live in a world where people are so disconnected from nature. I ran outside to tell him to stop immediately, but still, I am sad to know that people are so blind to what we are doing to our Mother Earth. I wanted to reach out to see if you have any recommendations on how to start making an impact. I love to write and would be happy to create, but wondering what would be the best avenue for something like that. If you have any feedback I would greatly appreciate it.
Sending love and respect,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Thank you so much for your heartfelt note. That sounds incredibly frustrating to see that happen next to your home.
I know some people can react to that by trying to build a fortress around their family, with fences around a larger property, rules about what they will allow in, and, eventually, fights and broken relationships. But I wouldn’t recommend that. Not only because it can be very lonely and paranoia-inducing, but because it doesn’t really work.
Honestly, I think advocacy starts on a small level, with you getting involved with your HOA, offering to be the newsletter writer for your neighborhood and help organize things (both fun potlucks, but also meetups about strategies for more eco-friendly and safe yards.) For example, there’s a Substack for Norwich, VT, the small community where I work. I thought about creating one for my little town of 500 — God knows we need it — but my time is currently taken up by this Substack, my job, my long commute, my house renovation, trying to make friends…I’ll get there!
Anyway! Politics are so easy to get into locally. It’s much easier to practice your skills of listening, persuasion, compromise, and empathy, and feel effective at the local level. Honestly, they’re usually desperate for people under retirement age to join. And if you find yourself saying, “Wow, someone should really do something about that,” well, maybe that someone is you!
Once you feel confident and in flow with that, you can start thinking bigger about your wider area and reaching more people.
As you get into this space, which can get pretty spicy and (frankly) silly, the Buddhist guidelines around Right Speech might be helpful to remember, especially if you feel yourself getting activated.
Is it true?
Is it beneficial?
Is it kind?
Is it the right time for this?
Good luck, and please send me your first community newsletter!
Sincerely,
Alden
Next up, my roundup of readings for people who care about sustainable fashion and non-toxic living. This is for my paid subscribers — thank you for supporting the existence of this newsletter!