Going Green

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

~Leo Tolstoy

I've decided to become vegetarian. Factor in my not eating or drinking any milk product and you've got a lot of fun eating at retreat houses.

Making this decision, based off a variety of reasons, has made me much more aware of those around me. I believe I am now more sensitive to those who either have special diets by choice or necessity. I can better appreciate the frustrations when accommodations aren't available to meet those needs, or when there is just one menu item open (often a salad if you can't have cheese or milk products).

It has also made me more responsive and positive to the teens who are just starting to make similar declarations of some sort or another. For me to make a dietary change is simple enough. With only my dog in the house, changes in what is put on the table or in the lunch pail each day are purely my choice. (For the record, she likes the switch - she loves seitan, noodles, and spinach.) However, teens who for their own sets of reasons decide to become vegetarian or make another similar lifestyle change face many more difficulties. It is easier for me to understand those now and to help support them where appropriate and to encourage them to do the research and find support to make sure they are getting all the nutritional needs met that a growing body needs.

I also appreciate how often a teen is told, "Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts." I just heard that last night from an acquaintance. It got me thinking about how often teens who decided to change their lives, fight for a cause, or otherwise do something significant with their lives meet with discouragement. We may wish to point to their peers, but if we look closely, we'll see it is often the adults around them.

When your teen says, "I am ___________," what is your response? It is hard enough to change the world these days, so shouldn't we do everything we can to help support the youth and young adults around us who declare that they want to make a positive change in themselves?

Then, without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day; of course, you achieve quite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this, it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoever doesn't know it must learn and find by experience that a quiet conscience makes one strong.

~Anne Frank

1 John 3.2