Freedom: the choice is yours

As I sit in my garden, watching the woodlice explore the cracks in the patio and listening to the bees visiting the sweet peas, I can’t help but remember over hearing a conversation on the train the other day. A woman was telling her friend how she emailed her boss at 3am because she was so worried about work she couldn’t sleep. Now I bet she doesn’t feel she has the time to watch woodlice and what a shame. I was reading about freedom on the train and how freedom isn’t about escaping responsibilities but respecting them as well as other people’s freedom. Sadly, the woman on the train probably doesn’t realise that she has freedom (as most of us in the modern world do) as we create cages for ourselves with work and perceived responsibilities. We allow ourselves to become trapped in consumerism and the rat race when there really is no need. Why trade our freedom for the choice between designer brands?

So, whilst blissfully soaking up the sun and admiring how nature has managed to overcome the paving slabs and grow a willow tree in the smallest possible amount of soil, I realised that whilst 9-5 doesn’t feel like freedom, we are all still free. We just need to remember that. If we enjoy the simple pleasures in life, make the most of what we have rather than striving for more money, more stuff, more responsibility, then we can feel free. I for one will try to remember this, although it’s going to be hard the next time I get soaked to the skin on my way to work at 6am when I’d rather be in bed!

Is it time to escape the rat race and downshift?

I’ve noticed recently, that just buying ethically isn’t enough for me anymore. I feel the need to live more ethically, in all areas of my life. Don’t worry, I’m not about to start some moral crusade or anything, I mean living a life that has less impact on the environment, perhaps one that makes a positive difference. Whilst browsing facebook and twitter I see that more and more people are keeping chickens, bees and animals and growing their own veg – a friend last week even announced he wants to live on a farm. This got me thinking, where has this sudden ‘getting back to the world ways’ idea come from? More and more people are becoming disillusioned with the 9-5 constant consumerist society, the American dream we’ve all been sold since the 50’s where work equals money which means we can buy stuff to make us happy rather than just being happy. In the past we’ve had a New Age craze going on where these disillusioned people, feeling displaced from modern society, were seeking solace in Eastern religions and philosophies. We had a resurgence of yoga, Buddhism, spiritualism, anything exotic or ethnic rather than something western religion. Now its like the trend has swung back to where we are, it’s just that we’re embracing the old ways of self sufficiency, working the land and even paganism. Whilst the religious side of things doesn’t interest me, I don’t need to believe in anything to be content, this concept of a simple life, downshifting or dropping out the rat race really appeals. My experience of living cheaply and ethically from charity shops and farm shops fits nicely in this concept so now I’m just working out how to take the steps to get to live my dream of the good life.

Why not everyone needs a cuddle: keeping wildlife wild

As most people know, animal welfare is one of the many things that gets me all riled up and unable to sleep at night. So, imagine my horror when researching an email to my pal Daniel at The Born Free Foundation I came across this video of a hapless (and rather ignorant) tourist attempting to cuddle a rather unwilling panda.





The place is the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Centre in China. It’s essentially a conservation project but sadly, the welfare standards are comprised by the drive for cash. This cash is raised from misled tourists who think it’s a good idea to give a panda a cuddle.


So what’s wrong with cuddling a panda? Well, the trouble is, these panda are being captively bred so they can be reintroduced to the wild. It is widely accepted that reintroductions of captive bred animals is hit or miss and efforts are likely to be unsuccessful is the animal becomes too tame. Its only healthy for wild animals to have a degree of fear of humans – it stops them from being hunted or captured. If the pandas used for cuddling aren’t destined to be reintroduced then the centre is basically sacrificing these individuals welfare for the good of the other pandas. Surely this is questionable at best and immoral at worst!

My advice is to steer clear of anywhere that offers animal cuddling (other than domestic animals). If you want to cuddle a bear, get a Care Bear! Plus you get browny points for retro chic too.

Ignorance is bliss: Living in my own happy bubble

I recently started living a rather simpler life. One of the surprising consequences of this I have only just realised. I have no TV and don’t listen to the radio so I’m blissfully ignorant of what’s going on in the outside world. The real surprise is that I actually don’t mind. As someone that is interested in current affairs, politics and global living this is a bit strange.

I think in the past I have got rather hung up on doing the right thing, being informed, raising awareness and generally caring about the world. I try to live a moral and ethic life but perhaps I take it a little too far. I’m really proud of my ethical buying and the way I’ve tried to shun consumerism but I feel guilty when I fall off the wagon and buy something in Tesco and maybe I shouldn’t. Perhaps its time to loosen my grip a little and cut myself some slack. I mean, I doubt if the founders of Oxfam beat themselves up if they buy non-fairtrade coffee once in a while. Surely doing my best is ok?

Combining the two things together is rather liberating. I’m no longer feeling anxious about the bad stuff that happens in the world (as I don’t know what’s going on) and I’m not suffering from my ethical guilt if I so much as stray into the poundshop. So now, I’m living in my own little world where my only concerns are what to have for dinner! And to be honest, it’s refreshing! I know it sounds very self involved and somewhat selfish but perhaps its not such a bad thing to look after myself for a while and concentrate on my own happiness rather than fretting about the rest of the world.

Don’t get me wrong, I know shite happens but I’ve taken to not thinking about it and concentrating on living in my own little happy bubble, blissfully ignorant of the wankers, bullies and bigots of the world. Whilst away for the weekend with some friends, I told them of my new philosophy and one said she likes the happy bubble Holly so I think I’m going to stick with it for a while.