Write with TLC

We all inhabit this Earth together, all of us. Our Earth is the heart of humanity, of life as we know it. Without the Earth, the lifeblood that supports humanity, all life, to survive ceases to be. People's reluctance to safeguard our Earth would be more of a surprise if people weren't so reluctant to care for their own hearts and bodies until they suffer a catastrophic scare. We treat both our bodies and our planet as if they owe us instead of acknowledging the role they play in our existence. Treatment of our bodies and our Earth are so intertwined that when we mistreat one we harm the other. When we treat one well, treating the other better follows naturally, at least to some degree. When I started really looking into how to be healthy, I kept coming back to the same things. Eat well, put fewer toxins in and on my body, and use fewer chemicals in my life. It took me a little longer to acknowledge those same things are necessary to keep the Earth vibrant and productive....

I grew up not thinking about whether or not I was poor. My parents owned our farm, but some years were tough financially. My earliest years we lived in a trailer until my parents built a house. They paid it off fairly quickly. I don't know how quickly exactly but I know they didn't take out a 30 year mortgage like most people today do.  But... There were tight years. My Daddy worked three jobs most of my life, and all of my childhood. He was a farmer full-time. He logged when the weather permitted. He worked as a mechanic/salesman for Turner Tractor Sales  in the winter months.  He never complained. He worried, but he never complained. He found ways to make it work. Daddy's idea of retirement was to sell the farm where I grew up and buy a smaller one, so he still farms and rebuilds tractors. My Mom was a housewife, but being a farmer's housewife also meant she did her share of gardening, fieldwork, and other farm chores. She also took on other jobs from time t...

Last week I wrote about supporting authors without buying their books, so this week I want to talk about a few benefits of buying books. To be honest, there's this little voice in my head going "People need reasons to buy books... They're books. That's reason enough." Of course that's the writer and reader in me. The minimalist and anti-consumerist in me totally gets why many people don't want to buy books. Buying books is a commitment. It's adding another "thing" to your shelves, your home, your life. Let me be clear. I understand that people work hard for their money, and buying a book can feel like a luxury. I totally get it. I've been there. The rent, the mortgage, fuel, food should all be higher priorities than buying books. I remember days when I saved change for a month to buy a book. I'm not, in any way, proposing that people sacrifice necessities to buy books. There are advantages to buying a book. You own the book. ...