Meager March Thoughts

Well, Meager March ends tomorrow. For the most part I stuck with my goals though there were a few times when convenience trumped. I think most of Meager March I will take with me. I will continue to try to buy from a local person when I can instead of a large supermarket. I found that taking the bus or walking everywhere made me relate to the Chinese around me more. It really all comes down to time and convenience. But I have to remind myself that I'm not in America where it's all about getting things done fast and multi-tasking. Here things go at a much slower pace. We have time here to take a walk with a student instead of rushing in a taxi or making dinner together rather than eating out. There are those few times where I get to multi-task and be super productive, and oh how I savor those times, but for the most part, here it's about relationships which isn't always convenient or fast.

I think the most beneficial part of Meager March for me was cutting back my Internet time. I realized that I can do most of what I need to online in just a few minutes a day. There's no need to constantly check facebook or waste time searching for stuff just to kill time. I have missed talking to friends online, but that can just as easily be done in email or letters. I've realized that whether I put a ton of effort into communicating with American friends or just a little, the result ends up being about the same. We all get caught up in our own lives. With all my extra time I've been able to spend a lot more time in the Word or doing things for other people. I started knitting and cross-stitch but haven't finished either.

I've been more conscious of turning off lights, using less water, and even less hot water. I haven't used my heater all month. The weather is getting nicer now so I can just throw open the windows.

I still have a lot to learn when it comes down to living a more meager meeker life, but this month was beneficial. I'd like to learn of more practical ways to help the poor of China, but I'm not really sure how to go about it. I've asked students if there are places to volunteer or ways to provide food and clothing for those that need it, but they said the government takes care of it. Hmm.

We've toyed around with different ideas for April...like Attractive April, Active April, Adjective April, Abundant April...we'll see what actually happens.