What is the hardest thing about the #withinonemile challenge?
For me, there are two tricky things about this challenge. The biggest challenge is entertainment. There isn't a whole lot to do in my neighborhood. There's also not a whole lot of pretty things to see. There's no cute coffee shop. There's no art gallery. There's no hiking trail. There's no creative space. At least, I haven't found theses things yet. So, entertainment thus far has consisted of DIY family fun or many trips to the playground. The playground is fun for my boys, but it's not all that exciting for me.
The other hard part is that our grocery stores do not carry fake meat. You see, I'm a vegetarian. My go to quick eat is a fake hamburger or fake chicken. I love to use fake meat in just about every entree I cook. Since I haven't had the luxury of grabbing fake bacon or tofurkey lately, I've had to take extra time to prepare food that is healthy- either that or I grab something completely unhealthy. Hello, potato chips!
What is the best thing about the #withinonemile challenge so far?
I run into people I know everywhere. I went into the grocery store and saw a family that used to live down the street from me. I went into the restaurant and got invited to join a neighborhood family at their table. The waitress saw me twice during Lent and knew my drink order. When I walked to the beauty supply shop and the thrift store, neighbors hollered out the front door to say hello.
What are you learning?
Tomorrow is my oldest Son's birthday. I thought long and hard about what to do. There's no toy store, no hardware store, no bakery, and no party supply store in our neighborhood. I nearly justified an outside the radius purchase. But then, it came to me. We have supplies to make something! I ran over to the grocery and got the ingredients to make an ice cream cake. (quick 30 minutes round trip). My younger son helped to make the cake. My neighbor is making a pinata. My husband grabbed some scrap wood and we made a bike ramp. Lesson learned: we have what we need.
Today, I was scheduled to preach in a town 30 minutes from here. When I got to the town, I realized that my gas tank was empty. Thankfully, gas outside the mile is not on my list of Lenten restrictions. When I swiped my card, though, I noticed. I took note of where I was, how I was spending my money, and my surroundings. Limiting some things has made me more mindful of other purchases as well. It has made more more thoughtful about what I spend and where I spend it.
Do you think you'll keep this going after Lent?
Maybe so. I really enjoy being more deeply invested in my neighborhood. I enjoy walking to places. I enjoy passing and speaking to my neighbors. I enjoy the challenge of restricting my purchases. The lessons I have learned and the adventures I have experienced have far outweighed the challenges. Honestly, though, if I do decide to keep some sort of restriction, I may stretch my radius to 1.5 miles. That way, I can include the nearest coffee shop and taco joint. I'll also be able to grab fake meat from the freezer section of the further grocery store.
Now, questions for you who are reading and/or practicing:
What are you learning?
What questions would you like me to answer?
Do you think you'll keep this practice after Lent?
No comments:
Post a Comment