Small changes, class/race, and accessibility

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After trying 4 or 5 times in my life to complete the couch to 5K program and always, usually in the middle section where the runs get much longer and you do a new run each time each week, I would fail. Recently, I tried again with the help of my partner, and honestly also with some antidepressants that have helped with motivation and follow through. We slowed down the tough weeks, and repeated runs as we needed to, and you know what? Last Friday I ran, for the first time in my entire life, for 25 minutes continuously. That was 2.64 miles. 

No one else cares how quickly you make changes, or which changes you make. If you want to live differently, you can do things at your own pace, and make the changes you feel comfortable making. Those changes will add up. Asking someone to live a low-impact life in our society is kind of the same thing. We are a high consuming society that doesn’t ask any questions about how we live or how much trash we make or whether or not this whole consumer culture is a good idea. The “we” here, of course, is a very generalized reference to white, middle class capitalists. Poor people have been using reusable things forever. A lot of POC acI know think capitalism as it stands is trash.  Regardless of who you are or where your starting point is, you can make changes so that you’re living day to day more in line with your values.  And that’s what I’m trying to do. 

I am a white lady from the good old USA, and I’m a white lady who is now pretty firmly middle-class. I wasn’t always middle class, and I still have some very non-middle-class habits like saving every glass jar that crosses my threshold. But I know my perspective is limited. Not everyone has access to the same things. Not everyone is starting in the same place.  

For example, a low-impact life might involve an electric car or even no car at all. I can’t afford to go out and sell my car for an electric one. I actually bought a new car last year because mine died on a road trip and I had great dreams of saving for something nicer or more environmentally friendly, and it wasn’t an option. I went with something with lots of cargo space but good fuel efficiency. For the next few years, that will have to be enough.  My drive to work is 11 minutes, but a bus trip the same distance in my town would be more than 45 minutes AND I’D HAVE TO CHANGE BUSES. It’s absurd. Maybe biking is in my future? I dunno. 

Anyway, whatever changes you make, great!  As I will try to include options and variations that are accessible to people of any income level, and will try to keep in mind the different services available to people in rural and urban areas.  Environmentalism and low impact living should not be reserved for any particular class, race, or social group. I’ll probably screw up sometimes and miss big things, but I will try to learn and have this blog be as accessible to everyone as possible.

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