It's the Little Things...

Today I got in my car for the first time in over a week. It's the beauty of urban living that Americans have grown to shun. We've all sort of been brought up with the idea that living outside the city in a house with some land, a white picket fence (preferably 6 feet tall so we don't have to interact with our neighbors...), a two-car garage, a dog, and a lawn is the ultimate American Dream. We get in our car to drive to the store, to school, to work, to the mall. My urbanite friends at work tease me for sometimes forgetting where I parked the car. But sharing a small "double-studio" with my husband and a cat really makes me happy, and he feels the same way (we assume the cat is pretty content with the status quo as well). We wouldn't trade a big house in the burbs for anything. Seriously. And we could afford it, but we choose not to. Another thing that makes me happy is that everything that we need is withing walking distance. Well, about 98% of it at least. Corny as it sounds, it makes me feel good to be a tiny part of the solution - less dependent on foreign oil, cutting down on emissions, sponsoring local businesses by patronizing them, all is fun on the cheap, really. I've even taken to riding my bike to work, which is no easy task - 4 miles of mostly an up-hill climb, and if you're familiar with Portland at all, you know I 'ain't lying, 'cause I work at Oregon Health and Science University. I've been feeling so great lately, I even told my husband if we ever got some sun on our tiny back deck, I'd grow us a Victory Garden of green beans, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs (another one of the draw-backs of down-town living is the small space between buildings, which allows for little sun). But alas, I have to settle for picking up organic produce at the Farmer's Market. Sure, it costs a bit more than getting your fruits and veggies at Super WalMart, but the $ I save in gas DRIVING to a Super WalMart, I get fresh, locally grown produce. And guess what - THAT makes me happy, too. And, no, I'm not a "stinky hippie" who wears hemp clothing (although I'd get more of it if it were more available - that stuff's GREAT!), never showers, and smells like patchouli and BO. It's a gross generalization by people who are too lazy to even put the slightest effort into making their environment a better place. It's not that hard. Really!