Wednesday, July 23, 2008

One T-Shirt at a Time


180 more days

I heard another of Mr. McCain's TV ads yesterday. He is now actually saying in so many words that we should vote for him if we want lower gas prices, because he will see to it that we drill for oil right here. That means off shore - all along our coast. It means in areas which until now have been sacred to wildlife and beauty. And this, in order to lower gas prices maybe seven to ten years from now, and for a relatively short period of time after that.

Even big oil man, T. Boone Pickens, is now pushing as hard as he can for alternative sources of power: solar and wind.

I don't understand. The environment - this world God made - is so precious to me. Life itself - human life, animal life, plant life - just has to be more important than money.

I guess that's a large part of why I blog. It's how I can, in a very small way, do at least something toward trying to help. I'm reminded of a day a few years ago. I was visiting in California. My son-in-law looked at me and asked, "Are you going to save the whole world - one T-shirt at a time?" I was wearing a tee with a small tree on the pocket, and the motto under it saying "Save the trees" or "Save the forests" or some such thing. And I realized I do have a number of tees that tell us we should save whales or polar bears or the ocean, or whatever.

Isn't that what it's all about? Don't we all, in small ways, as opportunity presents itself, have to do whatever we can to save the world? No one can do it alone. It takes all of us, just a little bit at a time. We don't really have to think about it. Good people everywhere do it every day, just by living their daily lives, lending a hand to one another or pitching in for the community. But sometimes it takes something more - like voting in one of the good guys, or writing a letter to your congressman (and hoping he or she is one of the good guys).

I don't sit around wondering how I'm going to save the world. Honest I don't. But I do get so frustrated trying to figure out how or why otherwise good people can look around them and not want to preserve what we have.
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On a brighter note -

My youngest posted very briefly yesterday. A cute, funny one.
She's at Fetal Positions. Wish she'd find time in her busy life to post more often.

10 comments:

Bear Naked said...

I agree with you.
Each of us in our own small way can make a change *one t-shirt at a time.*

Bear((( )))

Judy said...

I love the title, "One T-Shirt at a Time". That says a lot. We all need to do our part! I read your daughter's post. I love that picture of the child at the top of her blog. I have been seeing Mr. Pickens on t.v. a lot lately here.

kenju said...

I don't watch the news much anymore - or read it - (too depressing) but I heard a TV headline yesterday saying that McCAin is blaming Obama for high gas costs. What the heck???

Shelly said...

One T-shirt, one creek - my husband works in watershed protection, one tree, one less house on the grid, yeee hawww....we ordered a solar array yesterday - I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. It all adds up.

bobbie said...

I believe you're right, Bear.

Judy, that child is my grandson, Isaac, standing at what he calls "the big water".

Kenju, I don't watch much TV news either except on PBS.

Shelly - Yea!! A solar array! That's so great!

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Bobbie;I try too in many small ways to make a better planet, less waste etc.etc. and think it is only a drop in the ocean. I try to animate other people to do the same and perhaps in time or with time it will make a difference. I loathe all that plastic rubbish that is imported from China. What about exporting all the work to China! Now when I buy "Hush Puppies"shoes, it says "made in China", all the skills get lost as well! If there is not somewhere a big turnaround.

pink dogwood said...

I love it - one t shirt at a time :)

I do share your frustration of why people don't make preserving the beauty around us. I grew up in India where gas prices were always high (or maybe too high for our budget). The family car used to sit under its canvas conver most of the times and we used public transportation or walked as much as we could. If the stores were 2-3 miles away, we always walked to them. The family car was only taken out once in a while for weekend outing, becaus gas was so expensive.

Dianne said...

I share your frustration as well Bobbie - and I try to do what I can also.

Some people will plunge onward on their own

And then there are those like Pickens who have the resources to do something on their own

The majority of folks need a little push - a bit of leadership - and that's where someone like Obama can do so much to change so much.

Minnesotablue said...

We try in our small way to help. We no longer use plastic bags, are not driving any more than we have too and yes, I do wear enviromental T shirts. Every little bit helps.

Debbie@Like a Rose said...

Came by for Sky Watch but browsed on. The Pickens website is very interesting. It is at www.pickensplan.com