photos via victoria pearsonI loved this piece entitled “The New Normal” from Tuesday’s All Things Considered... I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of “recalibrating” our lives due to the economic situation and what specifically that means for my family (beyond the spending hiatus.) Call me an optimist, but I'm convinced that this period of re-thinking how we live, dialing back and becoming more mindful (whether forced or voluntary) will absolutely change our lives for the better.
My favorite line from the piece is the prediction that we will "drive smaller cars and live larger lives."
Larger lives…I like that.
After listening to the piece, I decided to do the exercise and begin documenting our family’s “New Normal.” This is what I’ve come up with so far:
- We’ll buy less stuff and when we do buy, we’ll save up for things we love, that we’ll have for the long run -- no more disposable clothes, toys, house stuff…
- We’ll eat out less and cook more
- We’ll drive less and bike more
- We’ll have more new experiences and support businesses and organizations we believe in (i.e. museums, education, local/ independent businesses, the farmer’s market)
- We’ll spend even more time ingraining in our girls the value of things, how lucky we are and how quickly life can change…how to adapt.
What’s your new normal?
