Zemika White

1,500 dollars a year is equivalent to a number of things, such as rent, new laptop, phone. The list is endless. But if I had to choose 3 things that I’d rather spend $1,500 on, one would definitely be to pay off some of my student loans. That 1,500 can do wonders, especially to shed the growing interest. Another thing I rather spend my money on is helping my mom with rent, or even picking up the slack of paying my own phone bill. Lastly, I would rather spend 1,500 on an experience, such as a trip with my mom or friends. I have not gotten a chance to really just experience life the last few years, and 1,500 can be enough money for a plane ticket and some loose change. To think that so much money is wasted just by throwing out most likely uneaten/spoiled food makes me want to be more aware of buying more food than I can chew because by wasting this food, I’m wasting a chance to spend this money on something that has a lot more value to me.

Spending time outdoors has the potential to reinvigorate you. The calm fresh air (well, depending on the place) the sounds of birds chirping, the rustling of leaves… I feel like this time outdoors, works best without music, or distractions like your phone. Usually, when I’m taking a walk, anywhere really, I always have my sound canceling headphones on. I jam to my music, getting lost to it as my legs are on autopilot to my next destination. But recently, when I went on a walk, I forgot my headphones and just kept walking. This walk felt different, I didn’t feel like I was in my own little world or doing a little dance like I was performing for a concert, instead my eyes wondered, and took in my surroundings, the birds chirping and trees swaying. That walk reminded me of how I’m just one part of a community, of a town, of a state, of a world. Not to mention, that since it was in New Paltz (rather than in the city) it was a beautiful sight to see compared to the grunge city streets. So yes, going for a walk outside can give you a sense of place and general appreciation, but you must take a walk without the typical indoor distractions.

I think that knowing the difference between use by, sell by and best by dates is impactful to know when shopping and when consuming. Ever since I was a kid, I was always concerned about food that I ate/drunk past the expiration date, especially milk. No matter how many times my mom told me the milk was good I never really believed her (which required her to sniff the milk and taste it before I even thought of consuming it). I’m ashamed to admit this, but after researching the differences and meanings of these dates, I realized that I have wasted a lot of food in my life and all because I didn’t understand the difference. But now, I can shop with the knowledge that something I buy with a sell by date of next week, does not mean it’s going to spoil next week (which I typically assumed). And instead of throwing out food sitting in my refrigerator because it’s a day or two past the expiration date, I can strategically try to consume them, so later when it actually spoils I won’t have to waste the food (and money) by throwing it away. 

My vision of a sustainable community would be one that uses its resources wisely so that little waste is produced as a result of it. This is due to the fact that all my life all I’ve seen is litter and junk whether in the street or in my own house. Honestly, this vision is probably not the most realistic vision but I do nonetheless think there are some ways for us to reduce waste such as; only buying things you can see yourself using in the near future (1-2 weeks). This applies mostly to grocery items, which have the tendency to spoil. Or if for some reason the food does become inedible, creating compost from the food waste. I remember 5-8 years ago my mom used to make compost from virtually any food waste, eggshells, uneaten scraps, banana peels, etc, and she would take the additional initiative to bring it to a farmers market that had a compost bin. Back then, I always wondered why she always had the compost in a paper bag where it had the tendency to leak instead of a solid less-leak-proof plastic bag, but having learned about paper vs plastic, I can now see she took an additional sustainable approach by putting the food in a virtually compostable bag, rather than a plastic bag, waste, which would probably have been passed onto the farmers market. However, now that we moved, composting has been a thing of the past, same with farmers' markets. I believe Farmers’ markets should be more omnipresent, especially those like the one I knew years ago that has a compost bin. With easier access to them composting might be a lot more convenient therefore will become more common among those who would like a sustainable way to reduce food waste.