Hug a tree!

Sometime between the ages of 10 and 12-years-old I decided that the earth would be my best friend. I created sayings on my shirt that said, 'Save The Earth Now,' and gave myself the nickname of STEN, which is very much that acronym plastered for the world to see. My younger brother will lovingly call me that when I'm back home in California.

I ran for and was elected to the position of Safety and Ecology Officer for my Catholic grade school. I wrote letters to groups within the school encouraging them to use recycled paper and not use styrofoam. I made my own recycled paper and wrote letters on it. I created an image of the earth using blue and green felt and put that on a large T-shirt to wear to the ninth grade dance in high school. Oh, I'm a total dork.

This is much to much information coming out now as an adult. But in a roundabout way all those initial desires and accomplishments as a child have resurfaced through graduate school. I am studying with John Hart, a professor of Christian Ethics, who has published many things on the environment and I'm drawn to theologians who take the environment into consideration.

Two days ago I had the pleasure of listening to theologian Sally McFague give a talk on Cities, Climate Change, and Christianity: Religion and Sustainable Urbanism. It was many of my favorite topics rolled into one talk given by one of my favorite theologians. She stressed thinking of the earth as a body instead of a machine that constantly creates new life for us. She talked about decisions she has had to make to live a more sustainable lifestyle. She made me laugh.
She told us we want too much and we need to stop wanting more.

The list can go on and oftentimes does when it comes to my passion of the environment. Looking through my window this morning, I see the yellowish, orange and red leaves. And there is that crisp feeling when you step outside wearing a sweater and corduroys.

On the bus ride home the night after McFague's talk, I began reflecting on the lifestyle I live and how to be more conscious of the environment. I mulled around theologial and practical ideas. Her thought about always wanting more resonated with me. It was the 11-year-old version of me, who wanted to call her friends and tell them about this amazing talk combining many passions. It takes commitment and passion for sure. It needs to also be a realization of what is feasiable and doable.

But in the meantime, as I wind down the month of October, I can only think of going back to Calif. to find that T-shirt. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to walk around school with a gigantic earth sewn onto your BC sweatshirt?