Organically Inclined

I once wrote a piece for a newspaper about how to end poverty in this country by consuming less. The crux of my argument was that if people in America would recognize what true poverty is (think China right now - or Burma), then we could go a long way toward fixing our socio-economic issues.

I received several letters from outraged individuals who believed that I made it sound too easy…that our societal ills and economic issues were not the result of our own American-style consumerism, but of other, more complex issues. Of course, I understand that there are, in the United States, people with true burdens. But if we look at poverty in this country realistically - and I am speaking as a person who once lived in my car with three children - one could see that most of the “poverty” we speak about is not really true poverty at all.

Poverty is not a lack of cable TV.

Poverty is not a lack of gas in your SUV.

Poverty is not having to shop at yard sales for your clothing.

Poverty is not having to give up Oreos (and I do love Oreos).

Poverty is not having to eat rice and beans and pasta.

Poverty is not having to give up your million dollar condo and go live somewhere cheaper.

Poverty, true poverty, is heart wrenching. It’s not just the inability to buy things - it’s the inability to get them even if you can afford them. There are places in the world where people are walking for miles to get a bag of rice…or some of a bag. There are places in the world where there is no rice to get.

I recently overheard a conversation from a woman who said that her husband was thinking of putting a woodstove in their house for heat this year because oil is too expensive. She told her friend that she told him “no way,” because she didn’t know how to work it. At some point, we Americans are going to have to start learning new things!

We are going to have to learn how to deal without heating oil…not expect the government to “save the day” and pay for it. We can’t keep expecting someone else to provide. We are going to have to learn to provide for ourselves - at least to some degree. We are going to have to stop going to the mall.

At some point our children (I say that collectively) will have to accept that Cheez-Its don’t grow on trees. And while salad may not always be the tastiest lunch - we can grow it in our yard.

Is it sad that people are losing their homes? Of course. It’s sad because there are many who were preyed upon by corporations who are even more greedy than the average American has become. But when do we start taking responsibility for our own part in this greedy scenario?

I fully admit that my own suburban style greed helped me right into the backseat of my Suburu wagon. Credit cards maxed out, bankruptcy declared, I had to claw my way back to a more “normal” existence. But I never once considered us truly impoverished. Struggling, certainly. But, we had my car - which worked. I had a job. We ate every single day…sometimes just Ramen noodles and veggies…but we ate. Our lives were basic because our needs were basic. But I was able to meet those needs.

In this country of plenty, where there are food shelves and shelters and land on which to grow food (something that cannot be said in every other country), we have the opportunity to exist…and reach for much more.

In fact, in some ways, the summer we spent in my car was one of my happiest times. of course I had a lot of guilt about not having a “regular” place to live, but we also spent our evenings walking along the beach or roasting marshmallows over our small campfire. I truly began to appreciate the “simple” life - and knew that while our conditions weren’t what typified the American Dream - I gained personal pride that for the first time in my life I was able to provide for my children on my own.

Soon after, I was able to provide the apartment.

What will it take to make us realize the connection between consumerism and poverty and to stop the bleeding? Does gas have to be $8 a gallon? $10? Do our grocery store shelves have to be empty because companies can’t afford to bring us the food? We are already seeing the impact on airlines. I’m not flying anywhere any time soon, are you? What happens when the semi trucks stop running? Or the UPS guy? How will you make adjustments? What happens when it’s not just about paying $8 a gallon for gas, but the fact that your local convenience store can’t afford to put gas in the gas pumps for you to buy? Then what?