I’ve been busy writing again – well, mainly thinking and then writing when what I’ve thought of feels right. This article feels right.

We were in Southend-on-Sea (a bit like Cape Cod but without the cod) yesterday, walking up the main shopping street, and realised how much we had changed from 10 years ago, when it just seemed normal to buy things new, and not think about the consequences.

This week I received a pre-owned stapler and a multi-gym from users on eBay (both things we needed but had nothing equivalent to) and gave away an old dining table and chairs to someone on Freecycle. They seemed such natural things to do…

This article starts with a simple tale about shopping. It is set in the UK, but could be set anywhere where manufactured goods are heavily used. The situations and dilemmas are common enough, but in a nation like the UK where, on average, every single person spends £2400 per year on consumer items (electrical goods, clothing, books, furniture, etc.), the outcomes may be a bit different from what you might expect…

Leon kicks the back of his old Nike training shoes against the upturned storage box he is sitting on. The repetitive “thump” of rubber against the green plastic, temporarily distracts him from the rush of brands and logos he picks out as they move past his view. The classroom is a rush of noise, banging and shouting with end-of-term excitement, but Leon is sullen, envious of the shiny black swooshes and sharp, clean, double-banded Reebok announcements that the shoes of his classmates make in front of him. 12 months is, like, well old. He needs new trainers.

(full article at http://earth-blog.bravejournal.com/entry/21397)