This entry was going to be called "My hair or the gas", because it seems that all this walking affects appearances.
But walking home with Anne changed plans. Again. She's full of profundity. For example during a discussion with my mother about emoting (Anne was about 2 at the time), our own Little Miss Peeps piped up and said "Grown-ups hard to cry. Babies good criers." Of course her observation nailed it. Children wear their emotions on their sleeves, especially babies. Grown-ups repress them. What two-year-old verbalizes what adults are hard-pressed to admit?
Today her observation was that "missery shoiuld not be taken for granted." That required some thought. The context was a discussion about seating arrangements in Library Skills class, and her contemplating whether or not to take action to ammend a problem. I'd added a comment about living life joyfully. And then she said: "Misery should not be taken for granted." It was the "taken for granted" part that gave pause.
When we take something for granted, we're letting it be, whether it's good, or in need of improvement; we let it lie. She verbalized an important, profound observation. We sometimes even let missery survive, taking the situation for granted. It is, so it must therefore continue to be. The safety is in predictability rather than improving things.
She may or may not take action, but now I'm wondering: what missery might I be taking for granted? What about my friends? Family? The world at large? I'm also on a mission to exist in an etirely positive state of being. Every problem has a solution. Every cloud a silver lining. This was another invitation to search the cobwebbed corners of life, and blow out missery with the powerful force of positivity. Thank you, Anne.
As for my hair, this morning thoughts of other countries and culters surfaced as I wondered: what do daily life routines mean for citizens in places where car transportation is reserved for a select few? Going carless is certainly changing my daily routines. If villagers in India have to walk everywhere, and live without running water, no wonder their scent is strong. If there's no toilet paper in some Middle Eastern countries, no wonder they reserve the left had for certain activities.
What expectations about our appearances do things like cars, modern plumming and a seemingly endless supply of dry-goods place on us? Pile on a little publicity al a Hollywood and modern media, and our dependence on cars, water, cosmetics, and plastic surgeons, and expectations for instant gratification begin to make sense. Americans are not bad people for driving 3 miles to and from work every day. We're just rising to the expectations all our modern conveniences have placed upon us.
Now the rub: How do I, existing in our Americal culture of high expectations for appearances, also live responsibly as a carbon-footprint-minimizing citizen? One friend suggested doing my hair at work. I'd have to double my supply of hair-dryers, spray, brushes; this is beginnign to sound like more consumption of plastics, chemicals, and petrolium products.
Maybe the solution is the head-scarf. Do my hair, then loosely wrap it in a kerchief of some kind or other. I'm nearly 40, and this is sounding uncomfortably grandmotherly to me. It may take some more thought. I could wear my hair up, but that's a less-than-flattering style on me. The American expecation is that we'll look our best, wearing styles that accentuate the positive. An up-do falls short. But this is another opportunity to be positive. I'll try wearing my hood tomorrow.
Two friends saw me walking to work today. One even read yesterday's blog posting (thank you!) It's nice to have company on this adventure. I certainly feel I'm taking the road less-traveled.
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