One small goal at a time

I’m never that enthused by the whole New Year’s resolution idea.  It always seems to me that you’re setting yourself up to fail by making these grand schemes and goals for the next year.  Two months later they’re a nagging annoyance in the back of your mind, especially if the goals had something to do with losing weight or getting more exercise.

I’d much rather set smaller goals.  Wishes, if you will.  I never write them down, and usually, I don’t even verbalize them to myself or anyone else.  They become one more thing I want to do, a small thing that doesn’t change the world but makes a little bit of difference.

For example: I try to support my local farmers.  I’m not a vegetarian or a “locavore” (someone who only eats foods grown within X amount of miles from where they live.)  I try to shop the farmers markets and produce stands by the side of the road – and during the winter, I do my best not to purchase exotic foods from Chile, Mexico, or regions far far away.  If the taters in the grocery store offer me the option of Maine taters, I chose those over the ones from California. 

This Thanksgiving we’re snacking on a local grown turkey.  It’s a free range turkey, and I can happily report that this bird had a better life than most dogs I’ve met living in a city (excepting the whole “chop the head off and serve it for dinner” bit.)  I’m due to pick the thing up on Sunday, and I’m excited to try brining the sucker a la Martha Stewart – it should be a turkey to die for. 

I’ve grown a rather nice little collection of canvas bags (bargains from here and there) to use instead of the frail grocery store plastic ones.  They come in extremely handy, and I use them for everything from grocery shopping to visits to the library and to block cats from sitting somewhere they’re not supposed to (when stored at home, that is.) 

This year, I’m doing my best to send Christmas gifts that are handmade or locally produced.  I hate the commercialism that’s taken over our holidays, and if buy I must, I plan to make the purchase a helpful, useful one.  After all, is the season really about how much “Made in China” crap you can buy? 

I’m not on a crusade.  I’m not perfect.  But at some point I realized that yes, even a little bit of change is enough to make a difference.  And if it doesn’t truly make a difference in the grand scheme of things, it at least makes a change for the better in my life.  Sometimes that’s enough.

This was today’s goal – get in gear and go photograph something, even if it’s just a leaf I picked up off the driveway.