Earth Hour. I did it. Did you?

At 8pm tonight, I made the conscious decision to turn off my lights for Earth Hour. I had also worked all day (on my day off), returning home hungry at 7:45 pm, so I quickly threw an impromptu turkey soup on the stove. Gotta cook before I turn off the power, after all.

By the time the soup was ready, it was time to go dark. I looked out the window, and saw that my street was mostly dark. I silently admired my dark-livingroom-neighbours (whether they were actually home or not!) and damned the few households I saw that had lights blazing. Maybe they didn't know about Earth Hour, at which point I forgive and embrace them. But maybe they did know, and made the decision to go ahead with their normal, Consumer lifestyle. At which point I say, BOO HISS.

Consumer....in my life, that word means so much more than simply someone who goes shopping, or enjoys a good or service. Years ago, my ex-husband taught me that the words "Customer" and "Consumer" should not be confused, because while there is nothing inherently wrong with being a Customer, to be a Consumer was a dirty word. A Consumer is someone who spray paints on the rocks by the highway. A consumer is someone who carves their initials or profane message in to the side of a tree. A consumer throws their trash out of their car window. In my world, a consumer is not someone who spends money, it is someone who CONSUMES, someone who takes what should belong to all of us and either steals it or cheapens it.


During Earth Hour, I lived by candlelight, and I loved it. So much so that, when Earth Hour ended and I powered up my laptop, I kept the candles going. In my part of the world, Earth Hour has been over for four hours now, but I haven't turned the lights back on yet. The candlelight is warm and sexy and REAL, and I have been able to move around my house without the help of electirc lights, thank you. And now I am looking ahead, planning to Gougle "candle-making".... Listen, we run a successful banquet floor, we throw out a hundred candle stubs every day. Maybe I can take thise stubs and make new candles to light my evening hours.

Because, really? As long as the TV is on, and Husbandly One can watch his hockey, I don't think he'll care if we are in shadow. Hell, those sexy shadows may even make me more attractive!