Awareness
Awareness Days/Months are meaningful to me. They give us opportunities to consider different perspectives.
I participated in “Plastic Free July” for the first time and took the plastic-free challenge! Thankfully, the program has you start with small steps, which were still challenging, given the ubiquitous nature of plastic. The first step was to notice how much plastic I used daily – it’s everywhere! Next steps included avoiding these ubiquitous items: single-use plastic straws, baggies, and food take-away containers; bottled beverages; and packaged vegetables and fruits. Although I also celebrate “No Buy July” to minimize personal spending, I did use “Plastic-Free July” to justify purchasing glass food storage containers and a new water bottle.
Here’s more information on the Plastic-Free Initiative.
Perspective
This summer, I also had the privilege of seeing Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson speak at the University of Austin. Talk about a broader perspective! Dr. Tyson’s lecture was fascinating. Check out his latest book, Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization. The book is a wake-up call to civilization and unveils his science-based cosmic perspective on everything, unpacking many societal issues.
While in Austin, I visited the LOVE HATE sculpture. This sculpture is an ambigram that can be read as a mirror image. From one side, you read LOVE, and when viewed in a mirror (or from the other side), you read HATE. The sculpture was created by the German conceptual and performance artist Mia Florentine Weiss and symbolizes a change in perspective. It has been exhibited in over twenty cities and is now one of the most photographed artworks in public spaces.