So this past week, I googled “Are doughnuts dairy free?”
Before I explain that ridiculousness, let’s discuss something for a moment: That comforting and familiar Google auto-complete confirmed that I am not alone. Is there anything better than thinking, “What a dumb question,” only to discover it’s been asked enough to make the auto-complete list? Phew. So reassuring.
Anyway, as absurd as that question may seem, I find myself asking similar things a lot lately. We live in such a weird time. We’re AWARE of so much more than humans have been at any other time in history. Think about it: before everything was just a click away, people lived in a sort of ignorant bliss. They ate the food in front of them because they were hungry and it was food. They weren’t thinking about gluten and glycemic index and gut inflammation. They wore the clothes they could afford because they needed clothes. They weren’t thinking about who made those clothes, what those folks were paid and what their working conditions were like.
Making decisions is actually more difficult when we have so much information. It’s more difficult when we’re so used to convenience . . . and deliciousness. Being an “informed consumer” is exhausting, and guilt inducing (wait, I can’t eat Halloween candy anymore?!).
At some point, we have to make peace and pick our battles. We live in 2014 America and the smallest daily choices we make may impact people we don’t even know and impact the planet for those not even born yet. No pressure, huh?
We each have to weigh the benefits of our decisions vs. the potential negative (or positive) consequences. We have to weigh the plusses with the minuses, whether it’s buying the gorgeous sweater that may have been made unethically, eating that delicious doughnut that you know isn’t good for you or buying skin cream from that company whose marketing tactics aren’t good for anyone.
This is what I love about our Maker Counter. If you’re looking to live a more mindful life, abandoning traditional skin care is SUCH an easy place to start. I promise. As creatures of habit, we become convinced that our routines are necessary, that we can’t function without them. But what if you could wash your face tonight, throw out all your products and declare yourself free? Free from the expense, free from the wasteful packaging, free from begrudgingly giving money to companies you don’t respect? Oh, what a feeling.
Americans spend just shy of $500,000,000,000 a year on beauty and personal care products. That’s FIVE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS. I don’t know how that makes you feel. It makes me more than a little uncomfortable. It actually makes me kind of ill. Imagine how different our world might look if that money and time and product development and advertising and energy were spent on something that actually matters.
So when you’re ready to take a small step that could make a big impact, come see us at Milagro. And I’ll keep you posted on how my dairy-free, doughnut-rich diet is working out for me.