Plastic Bags and Leadership?

Part of being a leader is walking the walk, and part is encouraging others to walk with you. I have been working hard on my family to stop using plastic bags. The amount of plastic bags that get into our land fills is obscene (counting the ones that end up there when they have been reused as garbage bags) and they almost all end up there because it is cheeper to make more plastic bags than to recycle them. There are fewer facilities that handle plastic bags and all around they become a pain with no where to stick them.

So what’s the alternative. Well, many stores are selling reusable cloth bags for @ $0.99. The are larger, less ugly than you would expect, and hold a lot more than plastic with considerably greater strength. The catch, you actually have to take them with you.

Here’s my thoughts on the subject. I am trying to abolish plastic from my family’s house holds. So far I have converted one of my sisters and my mom. I have them using the reusable cloth bags and have given them some hints how to make it more convenient.

For starters, I have them keep the bags in their vehicles. 3-5 bags per vehicle. Just roll them up and stuff them into one of the bags. It takes up very little room, and it’s easier to remember to use them if they are right there with you. If I am picking up a few items, I just tell the cashier that I don’t need a bag. You get funny looks from some people, but I’m used to that.

I am also trying to get them out of the habit of using garbage bags. I know this sounds gross but think about it for a minute. If you have a garbage can with a solid bottom, to empty it, just dump it into a sealable bin, and hose it out with the garden hose. Give it a shot of Lysol or Mr. Clean for good measure and take it back in the house. (vinegar, lemon grass extract, or tea tree oil also works wonders if you want a non chemical alternative) Sealing the lid will prevent it from stinking up the whole yard, and keep the critters out of it as well. When the bin is full, I make sure it is sealed and strap it into the box of my truck (trunk of your car works too). Then it’s off to the land fill, recycle centre, ex. where the bin is opened, jumped and strapped back into my truck. Quick stop at the gas station to hose it out with the pressure washer, and once again, Robert’s your Fathers Brother.

So here’s my challenge, count how many plastic bags you get in one week, from the supermarkets, clothing stores, parts departments, what ever. (make it a week that you actually shop) Then multiply that by 53 to get how many you use in a year. It’s pretty scary. And for $5 you can drop that number to zero. It’s not a big change, it’s not expensive, and once it’s a habit to take the bags with you, it’s really not inconvenient. So I challenge all takers to try and eliminate plastic bags from their homes.

So cool!

We were getting ready to leave Arizona in January this year, (we had just spent 10 days skydiving) when one of my friends said to me "I have the coolest friends! How cool are we? How many people do what we do for fun? We are so awesome!"

I remember smiling and thinking at first “wow, that’s not arrogant haha”, and then I thought “ya I guess she's right.” How many people accomplish the things we do?

Then I thought about Silent River, and everyone there. And I think "How cool are we! How many people accomplish what we do?" Then it hits me. Not cool, lucky. Here I have all these people who are inspired to learn, to grow, and to be better people, and I get to be a part of that. I get to learn, experience and accomplish along side over 300 people from beginners to Black Belts. And we all have something in common. We have each other, and Kung Fu.

Not everyone has this type of opportunity or community. Not everyone can say that they have the support and ability to do the things we do. We are very lucky.... and cool.