Why Handmade Beats the Pants off Walmart Every Time (A Holiday Review)
“Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends… Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.“ ~ Henry David Thoreau Each year, the holiday season seems to conjure up this typical scene: Frantic, frenetic people dashing here and there, schlepping bags and boxes from store to store; waves of consumers succumbing to the near-crippling... Read More
An Open Letter to CEOs Who Make and Sell Stuff
[Editor's Note: If you would like to use any or all of this for the CEOs in your life or as the basis for a letter to the editor of your local paper or even a blog post, feel free to do so.] space Dear Sir/Ma’am, I am taking the liberty to write to you on behalf of every single thing that calls this planet home. Most don’t know about it, but I’m sure they won’t mind. Their... Read More
You vs. Stuff: Five Strategies for Winning Every Time
“Anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness possesses you, and in this materialistic age a great many of us are possessed by our possessions.” ~ Peace Pilgrim Over the weekend, we tag-teamed a huge yard sale with my in-laws. Truth be told, it looked and felt more like a bonafide flea market than willy-nilly yard sale: Table after table of... Read More
The Frivolous Fifty
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi How often have you’ve seen this bumper sticker humming down the highway: “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Nothing sums up the tragic take on mainstream America like it. Look up American Lifestyle in the dictionary and you’re likely... Read More
Challenging the Throwaway Culture of Convenience
“There is no reason that the universe should be designed for our convenience.” ~ John D. Barrow Saving the world isn’t hard. It’s just inconvenient. Why? We live in a throwaway society built upon convenience. We throw away stuff and the natural resources that make it possible. We throw away people by turning a blind eye. We throw away ideas when they don’t... Read More
“When Your Heart is Beautiful”: Relishing the Simple Insights of Children
BY BILL GERLACH | JOIN ME ON TWITTER “I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, – light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful.” — John Constable A few weeks back, I was having a conversation with my five-year-old daughter that just knocked the wind out of me. It was one of those moments as a parent that humbles... Read More
