Paper or Plastic?

I work at one of those green, yoga-friendly, hemp wearing places where there is a recycle or compost bin for just about anything including your toe nails, but because this concept is relatively new, people from the outside mainstream world enter with no idea what "green" means. Plastic bags, plastic bags. Are you good, evil, or just not worth anyone's time?

This topic has got me thinking about what's permanent and what's temporary in my life - like should I stay with one no matter what anyone says since it's the switching back and forth that is wasteful of time and thought? Does switching just make things worse in the end? Does it make me a fair weather recycler? This paper versus plastic debate is both endearing and frustrating. Once some behavior is researched, discovered and passed down to the masses that it will save our precious Earth, we jump to the conclusion of the Green Media Monsters. We spend billions of dollars to campaign, train our youth to pass out flyers (no worries! it's on 100% recycled paper!) and fill our grocery store aisles with 100% recycled plastic bags. Once we realize paper is (oh no!) better for the environment than the evil plastic, we frown at all those whom request it. Who has time to keep up? But really, who is right and why spend so much time, money and the earth's resources to constant campaign for change? Isn't this very disposable way of living the very reason why we pile our landfills high with used and reused trends and clever ideas for saving our environment? Mother Earth is pleading..."Stop trying to save me! Just stop! Please!"

The Chinese have been reusing bags and cups and paper for centuries. They use until the bags are holy, torn and caked with filth. Their plastic bottles are refilled so often, green algae film the sides as if they were inventing traveling ponds for water pets rather than quenching thirst. Ew or new thinking?

We recycle more than we need to. We do that because it makes us feel good that it's all going somewhere to be sorted and remade into something reusable. But think I again. All the fossil fuels are wasted in shipping, in sorting all our crap...and most of the time, it can't be recycled because it's the wrong kind of plastic or it's still caked with hardened spaghetti sauces and peanut butter. I think I'll try to reuse in my own home rather than believing massive machines and others will do it for me.

The idea of permanence trickles into my daily life. What trends and beliefs do I maintain within me both as a wanna-be environmentally conscious person and human? How much of my thoughts and efforts pass after inspiration and how much clings as habit? What about my community? Temporary like trends, or friendships and bonds for life? What matters most in my world that I need to keep and reuse? What needs to be thrown out and necessary for some greater force to take over and transform?

When will my Mother Nature tell me to stop wanderlusting and stay put to invest in the deeper?