An interesting "Lenten Penance" - Becoming a bag lady

Oddwalk's friend - and Orin's cow-orker at the Shine - Erin Simmons







(that's right another Erin, just for confusion's sake)

Anyway, she has taken up an interesting "Lenten Penance" — read her words:

For the 40 days of preparation before Holy Week, I am giving up packaged goods. And by "giving up," I mean the following.

A) Avoid any packaged products. Whenever that's UNavoidable, buy the product with the least amount of packaging and/or recyclable packaging.
i) this will increase my familiarity with more earth-friendly products/companies/disctributors
ii) acts as deterrent to over-purchase
iii) will familiarize me with local goods (i.e. farmer's markets, local cooperatives)

B) Be accountable for whatever I do end up purchasing/wasting by CARRYING IT AROUND WITH ME IN A BAG.
i) this serves as incentive to purchase as few packaged goods as possible
ii) it serves as a conversation starter to any curious onlookers (e.g. evangelism, crazy earth-warrior speech)

EXCEPTION: I am NOT carrying around anything toxic, noxious, smelly or diseased. That means food, toilet paper, etc. are going where they belong...in the REAL trash. I'm just not that extreme and I do have limits on what I will give up. Along with that, I will contemplate what it means to live simply, to purchase responsibly, and to activate others to live more conscientiously. As you may know, I am the coordinator for my workplace's Earth Day celebrations so this may spark some more ideas, at least give me some experience at doing something visibly different. I'll be doing some research into how much garbage waste the average American produces.

Read more here!