You wonderful Poetry Friday bloggers so inspired me with your choices of a guiding “One Little Word” (OLW) in the past year, that I thought I might give it a shot. One mousey, little word has been gnawing at my subconscious for the past few weeks. Rather than me choosing the word, this word has insisted upon being my OWL.
PRUNE
Pretty cool, huh?!
Ok, bear with me.
My primary hope for my little word “prune” is to find ways to lighten the load of stuff that weighs down our home. From the attic to the basement, we have more stuff than we will ever need or use. Most of it lies neatly tucked away in bins or closets, out of sight but never entirely out of mind. It waits for that just-in-case someday that has yet to arrive. While I won’t go full Marie Kondo (‘cause who has that kind of energy?), I do hope to do more with less.
image source: How to Fold Clothes to Save Space (Using Marie Kondo Folding Method)
Total Garbage by Edward Humes also inspired me to try to reduce the amount of plastic in my life.
Humes says we each eat up to one credit-card-worth of plastic every week. Some people eat more or less, depending on their circumstances, but no one is exempt from compulsory plastic ingestion. Eliminating plastic is nearly impossible, but using less is definitely achievable. I called Whole Foods last week and asked if they would let me bring my own glass containers for their bulk items. They said, “No,” but I have not given up. In the coming months, I will post more about my progress on reducing my plastic consumption.
And what good is pruning if I continue to acquire more? It is tempting to toss a few extra items into that virtual shopping cart, but this year I resolve to ask myself if every purchase is necessary.
In The Year of Less, Cait Flanders describes how she got rid of 70% of her belongings and bought only consumables (groceries, toiletries, and gas) over a period of 12 months. Now that’s a challenge!
Then there is my writing, which could always benefit from significant pruning! 😊 Culling through my idea lists and resource lists, I may be able to spruce up some old ideas and discard those that don’t shine.
Hmmm, what about pruning unhealthful emotions? Although this may be a lofty goal lacking a solid strategy, I would like to worry less. Worry is rarely a productive emotion unless it inspires useful action, so why not skip the worry and figure out what actions could help?
Perhaps pruning is not just about what we choose to cut away, but what we decide to keep. If something speaks to me, why not bring it out into the light, use it, and enjoy it? If there something isn’t useful in its current form, maybe it can be recycled or repurposed.
My hope is that by I pruning what I don’t need, I will feel lighter, happier, and less burdened. With a little effort and a less-is-more philosophy, I believe I can reduce my carbon footprint as well.
Lastly, prune (as in dried plums), because ...
image source: What Are Prunes?
who couldn’t use a little more fiber?
If you haven't already visited our Poetry Friday host this week, please visit Kats Whiskers and enjoy Kat's delightfully entertaining cats-and-dogs poem!
your OLW is PRUNE, isn't it? It's PRUNE!!! I love it!
Okay, now I've read your post...and to my astonishment, I'm correct. Of course, I'd thought you were doing something clever with dried fruit (and the prune is la reine de fruits sechee, bien sur) but in fact you are doing something clever with words, with concepts, and with intention, and I wholeheartedly support it all. I DO love the OLW prune, Tracey. May it be a year of discernment and simplicity and purity. And now, for your amusement, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgVlRvl2DI0, a version of which I used to sing at summer camp!
I find it hugely distressing that we eat so much plastic! It also makes me think of the poor folks in LA who are breathing plastic in due to the wildfires. :( :( Having less plastic in our lives is a worthy goal.