Post Timing Change

We are on a very strict ration of internet at home according to Sheila. We are allowed 15 gig per month and we're up to 11 until the 12th (which will make 30 days here!). Sheila has to prioritize her work and so the rest of us (Maggie and I) are on rations for the next few days. That means we can mainly have internet at work and at Starbucks (I guess we won't be seeing much of Maggie as she is addicted to checking in with her friends via Instagram on a regular basis).

I will be posting in the mornings at work as opposed to the evenings at home for the next few days.

This is such a good exercise. I simply can't get over how at home I (I can't speak for all Americans, but really, it is the general culture) move through the world with a general feeling that everything is unlimited. We definitely pass this on to our kids.

We do some of this at home... I can't tell you how many times I have had a conversation with Maggie about keeping track of the usage or expenditure of this or that (I'm referring to conversations we've had at home) and had her react in a hugely negative way. Of course it is a life lesson for kids -- we ultimately have to keep track of expenditures, of calories (most of us do at least), and basically anything which needs to happen over a period of time to reach a particular goal (miles run in preparation for a race, classes passed in preparation for a degree etc.). Such planning, perseverance and willpower are all important soft-skills that are necessary for life but which are not developed cognitively through our schools.

But what I'm talking about here is different and goes back to my earlier post on environmental efficiency. The fact that you have to switch on an electric plug reminds you that you are using energy. The fact that we have to consciously consider how much internet we have left is an important lesson about tradeoffs and scarcity. The fact that the toilets here aren't filled to the brim with water that gets flushed every time reminds me that we don't need to use so much water and that it is not limitless (although on rainy days here I wonder). And of course, the fact that each drop of food that is in our home was carried on our legs and backs to get there helps (of course, I am exaggerating about the difficulty and am not in denial about how simple our Western life is here even without a car). 

So, if you're a regular reader, look for posts in your morning for the next few days!