Be the Change

I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea of a collective effort making big changes, even though the individuals are each playing a very small role. Last school year, we had done some work with Thoreau, Emerson, King, and Gandhi just after Winter Break. All of these people encouraged this type of change-making, where it starts with the individual changing him/herself. Gandhi said it quite simply when he said, “Be the change you want to see.” We can’t do much if we simply delegate, but if we do something and take a personal action, then our example inspires others, and we will see a snowball effect. Change will occur—albeit slowly.

I used to be a notorious disposable-water-bottle abuser. I would go to Costco and buy a 48-pack of 20-ounce Arrowhead water bottles. I’d keep them in my classroom, at home, and in the car. It wasn’t unusual for me to leave an unfinished one on my desk one afternoon and bring a half-full one with me the next morning and have two bottles on my desk. There was also probably a new one somewhere close by, as well. At home, water bottles lived on my nightstand, computer desk, end table, and kitchen.

No, I didn’t refill them. I am very sensitive to mineral tastes in water and can only drink tap water when it’s full of ice and lemon juice. This wasn’t an option at the times I carried my bottles around, so I’d drink one and recycle it. Arrowhead was my preferred brand because they used “light” bottles, which are very thin plastic. I also rationalized that I recycled.

Our “Being the Change” unit made me think quite a bit about changes I would want to “be.” My big issues are educational ones, and I stand up for my education philosophy and beliefs each time I stand up in front of my students. My big educational change would be for every teacher to do two things: use research-based best practices and teach reading strategies specific to their subject/textbook. There are more things I’d like teachers to do, but those two are the biggest. I already do both and have seen results. I keep up with the research through journals, professional development, and collaboration with other teachers. We focus on reading strategies as both readers and writers.

The “Be the Change” unit bothered me because I couldn’t do what I was asking of my students: to find a change I would want to be. I settled for continuing to be the change I was already being, and I focused on finding new ways to use best practices in my classroom.

Then, Earth Day 2008 rolled around. A couple of weeks before, one of my students made a comment that I had water bottles everywhere. And it was a true comment. I think at that time, I had three visible. As I allowed this comment to sink in for a few days, I reconnected with the idea of being the change. I realized that being the change didn’t have to be about major career issues. It could be personal and simple. So I rededicated myself right then—switching to reusable water bottles and never going back.

Not quite. In reality, changing habits is hard. I liked the bottles—they were small, easy to handle, the perfect size if I wanted to add an individual drink mix, and spill-proof when tossed about in my bag. So I made a half-change. Al was already buying water at the filling station at Harmons and we had about six refillable gallon containers. The water tasted good, but he kept it reserved for his homebrewing. I started pilfering his H2O stash to refill my disposable Arrowheads, which caused him some minor annoyance.

The real push to switch to a permanent, dishwasher-safe water bottle came in a more materialistic fashion. I was shopping at Victoria’s Secret and in the Pink section, there were 32-ounce bottles with the Pink logo and cute little phrases on the bottle to encourage you to drink up. Things like, “Aren’t you thirsty?” and “Hey! Have a sip!” Here was something that I could carry around without feeling like some mountaineering, Birkenstock-and-sock-clad activist. (I really don’t think this about water-bottle people, but it’s how I felt about me carrying one. And you all should know by now how seriously I take my shoes. )

So thank you, Victoria’s Secret, for helping me along with my water-bottle conversion. I estimate that this year alone, I avoided the need to recycle about 400 water bottles (Last year, I went through about one 48-pack per term at school and another one about every three months at home). I’ve also noticed that I drink more water now because the container is bigger. Being better hydrated has improved my overall health, awareness, and energy levels.

Don’t get me wrong, the cute bottle was a great motivator, but I still did need to make some adjustments. I no longer put the bottle in my bag. I carry it, to avoid leakage when I throw my bag around, and also because it doesn’t fit a lot of the time. I have to keep track of one bottle and not have a bottle in every conceivable place. I’ve since built a collection of various reusable mugs, cups, and bottles to keep around the house. (Real glasses aren’t the best choice for me since I tend to leave leftovers for later, and this has proven disastrous when the cat or dogs have knocked them over.) I also have to clean the bottle on occasion, instead of trading it in for a fresh one. Simple changes, sure, but that just goes to show you how resistant we are to change.

In this case, change was good. I feel happy about the small part this one action has made in the overall waste issue. I feel hydrated and healthy. I still drink water that tastes good and doesn’t leave a white chalk behind when it evaporates. I spend less money ($0.38/gallon as opposed to about $5.00 for 7.5 gallons--$0.66/gallon), get more water, and have cut my water-by-product waste by 100%. I’ve also drastically decreased my soda-consumption—an unforeseen side-effect. Since I always have water handy, I can reason with myself that I don’t actually need the diet soda.

If you’re looking for a small change that you can make, I’d strongly recommend this one. Even if you’re not a disposable-water-abuser like I was, carrying water in a nondisposable container and taking advantage of the water filling stations has had a notable impact on me and my overall health. I think you will come to enjoy this practice, and I promise you’ll never go thirsty!
But just to keep things in balance, I should confess that my next project is to lessen my dependence on the convenience of disposable plates, bowls, and plasticware. I’ve been an at-work- lunch-stuff-abuser for too long!

Some Links About Water Bottle Waste:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5279230/

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/waterbottles.pdf

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/348952,CST-NWS-eatwater19.article