On my Way to Simplifying.

About a year ago I had an epiphany.  A thought had been in the back of my mind for a long time, but I just sort of ignored it, until… well, one day a solution appeared. 

Wasting, harming the environment, recycling, using more than one needs, etc. have always been in the forefront of my thoughts.  I grew up in a household where reduce, reuse, recycle was implemented even before I knew what those concepts meant or why they were important.  It was simply our way of life.  To understand why, it is essential to know I am of the first generation raised away from the family farm, and my parents are products of the Great Depression.  We planted a giant garden, regularly composted, hung out laundry in the backyard, saved soda straws, and reused resealable baggies and plastic eating utensils.

I finally couldn't keep my conscious quiet; the issue became a constant burden.   I realized that I was not only throwing away a ton of cashola, but also creating a huge amount of plastic waste in one particular area.  Disposable razors.  (Don’t worry, no TMI here.)  After throwing around some alternative ideas, i.e., sugar peels, chemical lotions, waxing, cheaper razors, I came upon the blog, Zero Waste Home, authored by Bea Johnson.  In her “Tips” portion she lists using safety razors as an option.  Really?  The old fashion razors of bygone years?  EPIPHANY MOMENT!!!  This idea sounded completely doable, and seemed a commonsense solution to my long lasting dilemma.  What came to mind next was that years beforehand I discovered a velvet covered box in my parents’ medicine cabinet which housed a safety razor of yore.  So, I asked my mom if it was still there.  And guess what.  It was.  Since then I’ve never turned back.  Ten refill blades costing anywhere from $1.99 up to $3.99, you can’t go wrong.  That’s almost a year’s worth for much less than what eight medium grade plastic disposable razors would cost.  There is also the fact I’m not adding to the already overflowing landfills or the minuscule plastic pieces polluting our beaches and waterways.  Another plus is I have found they don’t become dull as quickly, leading to less irritation or injury, just as long as they are completely dried off after each use.  So thank you Bea, for giving me yet another step in the right direction.  It may seem little, but it was pretty fantastic to me. 

Maybe while reading this post, or future simplification posts, you will find your ah-ha moment, your epiphany, or maybe a first step in living a less complicated life.  And if you have any ideas on other ways to make a positive change like this, please feel free to share.  I’m all ears.