Green Monday: It's Not Easy Being Green

Kermit the Frog was really onto something here.  He captures the melancholy and uniqueness that comes with the territory of being green. Let's take an in depth look at the lyrics of Kermie's song, and we'll see just how true his sentiment was... and still is.

It's not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that 

Being green can most definitely be a challenge. Avoiding all of the colorful dyes that our foods and health and beauty products have become laden with can seem an impossible task at first. Not to mention that there is a reason people use and like them - they're appealing! They look pretty, they smell yummy, and most often they work great. When you've been using mainstream products your whole life it can seem like such a daunting thing to even begin a green lifestyle, let alone transition completely. It's not that easy being green... although cloth diapering can be colorful!

It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky

Go Green Pocket Diapers

And he hits the nail on the head again. While there may be some controversy over the green movement itself, few people have drawn attention to themselves because of what they were doing on a day-to-day basis while living this green life. In my world, the steps I've taken towards a more natural lifestyle have resulted in lots of raised eyebrows, a few giggles, some name calling {anyone other Mother Earth's out there?}, and, my favorite, the ever popular, "I don't know how you do that!" That last comment is usually in reference to cloth diapers. And while no one looks glamorous sloshing a poopy diaper in the toilet, you might just get some sparkly water on you. har har har. 

But that's sort of the point, isn't it? To get back to an organic way of living not only in the foods we buy, but in the lives we live. I laugh every time I hear people complaining about the new organic fac, and the usual follow-up about how there were no organics 40 or 50 years ago. Wrong-o. The fact of the matter is that up until 40 or 50 years ago ALL foods were organic, they just didn't need to be labeled because why would you need to tell someone that food is simply food? There was no need to classify it because it was as nature intended it to be. Natural pesticides have been used throughout our world's history, the most early one being sulphur, but it wasn't until the 1940s and 50s that synthetic pesticides began being mass produced. The 1970s saw the formation of the EPA and ever since then growing, selling, and buying organic has been an uphill battle. If only finding organics was as easy as spotting a star in the sky. 

But green's the color of Spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean, or important
Like a mountain, or tall like a tree

Green is cool. The move towards organics, homesteading, homemade, and healthy has been gaining momentum over the last few years, and it's safe to say that the green trend is on the upswing. My hope is that more people, more families, will find how easily this lifestyle can fit into their homes and being green will be be big, important, and the norm! It will not be a choice, but simply the way of living. As obvious as a mountain, and ever growing in it's reach, like a tree. (Would you like some wine with that cheese? HA!)

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why
Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful
And I think it's what I want to be

Picture courtesy of www.environment911.com

For me, green is all the there is to be now.  I'm so far from perfect, and not every aspect of my life is cleaned, so to speak, but I am ever conscious of the way we live, the impact my family makes on our world, and the way the world we live in impacts us. When you know better you do better, right? And to toss in another cliche, with great power comes great responsibility. What greater responsibility is there than to be raising, training, teaching, nourishing the next generation of people? Everything I do, say, and give to my children impacts their development in some way. I can either make a positive impact or a negative one, and I choose to be a positive force in their lives. I also want to protect them in any way possible, and when you start to learn what is in the processed foods, and the super-duper-yummy-berry-blasted health and beauty products for kids you can't help but think twice before you make your next purchase. And each purchase we make is a choice. It's our voice in the market saying, "Yes, I want this." or "No, I refuse to buy that." Choose your words wisely my friends. And learn to love being green, just like Kermit. It's a beautiful, healthy, impactful, and responsible way to be. I think Kermie and I came to the same conclusion.... in the end, it IS easy being green.