Being Part of a Solution

The other day I went to store for some items I needed. As I was checking out the cashier asked if I wanted a plastic bag for my things and I replied as I usually do, “no, save the bag and the environment”.

She said, “no, more like save oil”.?

I’m not a fan of plastic bags nor their impact on our environment. I explained to the cashier that I have tried to live consciously avoiding over consumption of petroleum products. The vehicle I drive is very economical on gas with the lowest cost of ownership I've ever had. While?not crazy about Lithium-ion batteries, the vehicle itself was a move forward benefiting my business overhead expenses.

The cashier continuing to lament how difficult times are going to be as gas prices would surely go up affecting everyone negatively concluded, “everything is just so bad”. ?

In fairness to her, the store where she works services farmers and no doubt things could be tricky for them. Yet I admit I had enough of the doom & gloom report so I responded with kindness, “At least your house and business aren’t being bombed, the Ukrainians are the ones having a tough time”.?Well the cashier didn’t know what to do with that perspective.?

It doesn’t matter which political party you support, this post isn’t about that. Just understand how disrupted Ukrainian life is at the moment, how horrific. News footage and photos don’t really convey the concussing of bombs on one’s body, or worse. The cost in lives, infrastructure, community, businesses, investments and so on, is beyond tragic! Consider if you will of the affected population, the ones that pay the highest price from War are the children of conflict. And on both sides! What they deserve is Peace and one arrived at without more conflict.?

The majority of living Americans don’t know this trauma on a large scale such as an invasion to our homeland. But others do. Countless foreign allies standing up against the invasion of Ukraine understand the importance of solidarity against an aggressor such as Putin, the ultimate cost of Ukraine being lost to Russia should nothing be done. Think Uranium. Our allies are willing to make sacrifices for a greater good, unifying in favor of Ukraine.?

So if gas prices go up in support of economic sanctions designed to constrict Putin’s War, then so be it. He is no genius. We can make adjustments to our consumption habits and be apart of a solution. Yes, it will prove difficult to navigate for businesses that rely on fuel or petroleum products to operate.Yes prices will go up. If you didn’t think there would be inflation when the pandemic hit in 2020, then you miscalculated economic factors to be prepared. And so it is possible depending on the length of time sanctions are in place, that you will feel the economic pinch even more. It’s possible that Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will become more viable. We’ve had warnings of our vulnerability with oil dependency culture since the shortages of the 1970’s, that’s almost 50 years we have had to shift away from fossil fuels and ego trips.

I offer you this, whenever I’m having a bad day I do a gratitude practice. I count all my blessings for each person, situation, and advantage I have in life and with that positive thinking the malaise shifts. This too shall pass. When you get down to it, you and I have a lot to be grateful for. When things seem tough, just remember to keep Ukrainians in your hearts, because their Hell makes our worst day look like a walk in the park! ?PEACE