by alex | Mar 19, 2012 | BE ______
I’ve talked before about all-consuming. But even though that’s great, we may need to take a step back and think about what it is that we’re consuming in the first place! Where did it come from? How was it made? And, on a more ‘spiritual’ note, what kind of energy went into making it? Something produced in a sweatshop that you can purchase for $5 may not bring as much joy to wear as something carefully handmade from organic fabric. Or even an item you’ve rescued from an op-shop and given a new home to. You may think it’s silly to talk about clothes as if they can impact on your psyche, and a year ago I probably would have agreed with you. But the more I investigate the world and talk to people who are making a conscious effort to know the origins of what they’re eating, wearing, and using, the more I realise how inter-connected everything is. It’s like the Butterfly Effect theory … a small movement on one side of the world kicks off a chain of events that can eventually reach you in some way. The food we purchase from supermarkets has often already been stripped of all nutritional value. In the same way, clothing and household items may have been made at the expense of other people, land, or cherished natural resources. We may not be directly carrying out these actions, but our purchases are still silent cogs in the supply chain. Becoming a conscious consumer isn’t easy. It’s a warren of questions, research and opinions to navigate in order to make educated, aware...
