The Autumn Leaves

 

Daily the vista transforms from one of shades of green, to a palette of blazing autumn colours: burnt oranges, deep russets, bright gold and all shades in between as we tilt away from the sun and summer gives way, reluctantly, to fall.

Those glorious leaves will soon release their hold on the trees and fall, to lie crisp, and then soggy and blackening, mouldering on the ground. I will gather what I can into black bags (oh no! more plastic!! Alternatives please?) where they will rot down and become nutrients for a future garden.

The noise and concerns over the pandemic of Covid have distracted me from focusing on reducing my negative impact on the planet, but I’m beginning to revive. Although my home-made dishwasher soap was ineffective, I found a great replacement at the pop-up refill station which opens every Thursday in Scott Skinner Square. I also found chewable toothpaste tablets which I am giving a go, hoping they are effective, as it will eliminate the need for plastic tubes. And, of course, a bamboo tooth brush. Refillable soap and shower gel. Olive oil bars of soap. Last night I researched and will purchase an old-fashioned razor, so I don’t need to buy plastic disposable ones any longer. I’m making my own laundry soap, which is great. And remembered to take my own containers to the grocery store for the meat and fish.

It’s all about changing habits, isn’t it? Changing habits so that my impact on this square of the earth is positive and not negative.

So much for patting myself on the back; I have a long way to go before I no longer need the fortnightly trash collection. I have a long way to go. The things I still throw into the black plastic bin bag in the kitchen will be tossed onto a landfill and covered over, to sit, intact, for centuries or even forever. They will never decay, never become food and nutrition for the soil to feed a future generation. It’s awful.

Life is a gift from God. The creator has given us such a beautiful playground and yet we war and fight and litter our way through our three score years and ten.

I have been blessed to have been born into a diverse, fertile world, and I want to pass a healthy planet onto my beautiful children and grandchildren, not a depleted, weakened world ravaged by my selfish habits.

Again I turn to God for guidance, and I hope to walk in his rhythm of grace and develop habits for life. All suggestions happily accepted!