Simple Green living, My father's style.

. The Ozone layer has a huge hole in it and is impossible to repair!
. The wild life species are disappearing!
. The pollution is everywhere!
. The water is acidified and corals are dissolving!
. The fresh water reserves AKA Aquifers are finishing and drying!
. We all are doomed!
. ...

Yes, it is happening. Yes it is bad. But the question is, what are we all going to do about it? Should we just seat down, be scared and complain? Should we continue living our lives the way we are told to live and once awhile feel bad about the garbage we are producing and recycle one or two bottles? Should we drive our SUV's around and get angry at the others and the government for causing pollution? Should we be very scared of all the chemicals in our genetically modified food and yet when it comes to buying None GMO food, complain about the high cost and think only obsessed and crazy people buy "Organic " food?

When I look at my own home and my own family, there is so much more we can do. There is so much we can change to become better tenants to our earth. Should I dislike my own life, make my family and friends miserable and nag and complain about the wasteful lifestyle? Or should I focus on positive changes we have done.

"Be positive" is the last thing I personally want to hear. Few years back, when depression came to my life and changed me forever, everybody was kind and loving. But not knowing what I am dealing with, people kept telling me to "Be positive". The problem was, I was and still feel that I am one of the most positive people that I know and yet being positive by itself, did not solve any problems for me.


My father.
Now let me introduce my father.
My father is an civil engineer. He studied in Munich, Germany over 45 years ago. He has many memories about how his landlords lived so frugally and how nothing was wasted.

One of his landlords he often talks about, back then, was an old German lady with memories from the war era. she had talked about the hunger, the hard life they had to endure. But one thing my father talked a lot about was the unbelievable amount of effort invested by every single person in post-world war recovery to rebuilding their country. He talked about how he ended up learning a lot from his own simple life back in Iran and the student life he lived in Germany.

When my father finished his studies, he went back and went right to the harshest areas of Iran. He worked hard in the southern Persian golf coast's heat and also in the freezing cold weather of northern Iran. He worked in dirt and mud. He worked in unlivable environments and yet enjoyed every single thing he built. He built bridges, factories, roads and dams for areas that otherwise had none.

Years late, when he got established, he created and managed a huge firm with over 40 engineers under his commend. He made great money and built a very comfortable life, yet when it came to water and goods, he valued every single grain of rice and every single drop of water. He never waited for a draught announcement to start conserving water, nor he waited for his financial situation to go down or the Electricity to become expensive to start turning off the extra lights. He just simply knows how much hard work and how much tear and sweat and blood it takes to produce these amenities. The amenities we take for granted. He simply valued all the hard work that was invested, so we can have clean running water, electricity and energy on demand. Yes, he values every resource we have been blessed with and use. He is one of the most positive people I have ever seen and had the pleasure of knowing.

Fast forward years later, my father is retired and lives in a cute and cozy house he himself built many years ago. This house is located in a village in the north of Iran next to Caspian sea. The locals used to maintain their lives with planting and selling rice, citrus fruits and Etc. But now, the lands are being sold and developed. The developers are building luxury vacation homes and villas close to the sea and the nature is changing rapidly and drastically. When I was growing up, that cozy house used to be our vacation home. We have great memories with our neighborhood children. He had created a deep bond with the neighbors as well.

Being retired and financially secure, he is enjoying the helps and gifts he is giving to young people, friends and neighbors around him. Yet when it comes to his own life, every single thing become repaired and every inch of dirt becomes used, planted and greened with something eatable or beautiful. Many years ago, he planted many citrus trees in his garden and when the fruits are ready, he contacts the neighbors to come and pick them up. It is actually nice and interesting to see how he names his trees based on his neighbors he dedicated the trees to that year.
"This is Mr. ...'s tree this year. I let them know when it is ready, so they can come and pick the fruits up. I am going to give that one to this young neighbor. They just had a baby and could use the money. They sell the fruits in the stands their dad owns" He says.

He is also the main giver of free fruits for neighbor's weddings, memorials, new baby celebrations...
My father doesn't know much nor is concerned about all the environmental problems and pollutions around us. But unknowingly, he lives the greenest, non-consumeristic life one can live.

Absolutely nothing gets wasted in his home. Every single thing has value and is getting reused.
"I don't like to buy cheap plastic things when all these good sturdy old stuff can still be repaired and reused" He says, not knowing anything about the anti-consumerism movement that is growing roots all around the world.

"Simplicity is the most important thing in life. Living simple and joyful is the best way of living. Why should I buy what I already have. I have more than what I need. How many clothes and stuff can I need and use in a life time. One belt is enough to secure my pants. I bought it 18 years ago and it still is good." He says.

He is not a hoarder. On the contrary, he is a minimalist and doesn't know it. He never just gathers things for the sake of having them. He just has and keeps strictly what he needs.

" Lets buy our groceries from the local stands. They need help" He says buying only from local small farmers to help them, but he does not know about the movement called "Locavor". He cooks from scratch, not because he wants to live green. Because he believes that is how the food should be. He buys only organic, not because he is fighting Monsanto, because he is believing that the food taste better and is healthier and again, that is how it should be.

Now my friends, about our planet and lives, being positive does A LOT for us. Choosing small changes, believing we ARE a part of this planet, being grateful and appreciative of the lives we are living and being content and stop our greed, can make a huge impact in our planet' well being.

How much do YOU respect and appreciate the amenities you have been given?

Paris


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