Simple Suggestion #249... Attend an education session

Life is about learning, when you really think about it. We don't stop learning until we die. But often we think that once we're done with school, college or university, we're done. Sure, we can get a book from the library or watch a TV documentary to learn about subjects we're interested in, but our formal communal learning is over.

That's why I'm making this week's Simple Suggestion, thanks to a nudge from my friend Debbie. She's on the organizing committee for an education session on food waste and the practical steps we can take as a society to reduce it. It's open to all Edmontonians, and it's an opportunity to get together and learn in a more active way. There's no final exam, and hopefully we'll all take away some ideas of how we can use food in a more sustainable way and waste a lot less.

Here are the details:

Come celebrate Earth Day!
Friday, April 22 @
Trinity United Church
8810 Meadowlark Road
Edmonton

Join the Food Justice Team @ Trinity United
for a screening of Just Eat It

Just Eat It is a Canadian Story about food waste
and a look at how we might make changes
for the sake of the environment and food security.

6:30 pm Doors open
7:00 pm Screening of Just Eat It
Question and Answer to follow

Admission is pay what you can,
and tickets are available through Eventbrite.

There are probably dozens, if not hundreds of other opportunities to gather and learn within our communities -- it's just a matter of looking for them on community poster boards, websites, and newsletters. The Just Eat It website alone offers a listing of many similar sessions across Canada and the US. What I'm really looking forward to at the session above is the Question and Answer, when we take what the documentary offers and apply it to our own situation in Edmonton. When enough people know about how we can reduce food waste, things will begin to change. The tipping point toward sustainability can't be that far off, can it?

And this is just one example, one topic out of zillions of possibilities for educating ourselves and our communities. We never stop learning, but I find that an experience of attending an education session and learning with others stays with me longer than any TV documentary you care to name. How about you?

Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.

Simple Suggestion # 216... Try a broader perspective

These last few weeks of autumn, during the season when "every leaf is a flower," as noted by Camus, my walks with Shadow pup have been just glorious. The many tree-canopied streets we stroll fill my eyes with sun-flecked greens and golds that are too much to take in from the sidewalks. So I decided to abandon the sidewalks and walk down the middle of the residential roads (moving out of the way if cars come, of course). And I've discovered that my canopied perspective from the middle of the street is better. See what I mean?

As Shadow and I walked under the trees, I started thinking about how important it is to broaden our perspectives whenever possible. Human beings are not meant to be static. When we always do things and see things in the same way, we miss out on a lot of living.

A few weeks ago, my cousin reminded me of this again. She invited me to go with her to our local mosque's open house on "Islam and Non-violence." With all the stories about the extremist Islamic State in the news, the event was timely! Unfortunately, I had a prior commitment and missed out, but she and her parents went and really enjoyed learning about our Muslim brothers and sisters and their beliefs. She commented that it was "very informative and refreshing to hear that Islam is also peaceful" (its name is actually derived from the Arabic word for peace) -- it's mainly the ISIS/ISIL extremists who have twisted the meaning of the Quran's teachings. I hope the local mosque will have another open house soon, as I plan to attend the next one with my cousin.

That's just one example. Sometimes widening our perspective can be as simple as rearranging a routine or doing something differently. I could try brushing my teeth with my left hand rather than my right, or make a different choice for breakfast. Take a different route to work, or listen to another radio station/read an alternative news feed. Try on a new point of view. Imagine walking a mile in the moccasins of someone whose life is completely different. The possibilities are endless! The idea is that by changing things up, we widen our appreciation of the life we've been given and gain insight into the perspectives of others not like us -- and teach our "old dog" a "new trick" or two in the process.

How will you expand your horizons today?

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.