Woke Up on the Sheets

¶ … woke up on the sheets my mother gave me, which are soft and apparently expensive. I have no idea where she bought them or where they were manufactured, though. Many high-end products are not ethically produced, any more so than the cheap items sold at Wal*Mart. However, as I reflect on my consumer purchases I deepen my commitment to steer clear of Wal*Mart, not just because of their support of environmentally stupid manufacturing processes and human rights abuses abroad but also because of their labor policies. Any company the size of Wal*Mart should be able to create a workforce that makes above the minimum wage and one that also takes pride in their jobs. Instead, Wal*Mart panders to the consumer society by promising "jobs" that mean only pocket change to people who need real income to feed themselves if not also their families. Meditating on the labor force helps me to see more where my consumer purchases affect the globe. I would prefer to live in a society that does not tolerate a whole class of working poor while professing to be the greatest nation on earth. If I have to spend slightly more at a store that treats their workers well, then those few dollars extra are well spent.

When I open my breakfast cereal, I do not feel guilty. I actually know that the manufacturer appreciates whole grains because they actually do taste good, in spite of the propaganda delivered by the mass-market sugar industry. Sugar is fine in moderation, but in excess has caused tremendous harm to individuals as well as to the environment. The manufacturer of my organic whole grain cereal might appreciate organically grown whole grains because they are financially feasible and if so, the market has spoken. Profit is not the problem; ethics are.

Looking in my refrigerator I notice that I have been spending more money on food because I want to purchase organic as well as locally produced products. Organic products, no matter what products they are, help build market interest in the organic farming industry. Greater consumer interest means more support for organic farming, which in turn means cheaper and more readily available organic goods.

My kitchen contains a wide variety of foods, some of which I am proud of and others of which I am not. I do feel better when I buy and consume products from companies that use organic ingredients even if those companies also produce non-organic counterparts too. For example, a major potato chip manufacturer still makes their standard familiar brand but recently branched out into the organic market sector and now makes organic chips.

In fact, I know that my dollars prove the market demands increased production of organic goods. Today I went grocery shopping and carefully watched what I spent my money on. I used to buy whatever item was cheapest or whatever brand name I was familiar with but now, I know that my money means support of that company. If I willingly buy from a company that contributes to environmental degradation or processed foods then I am part of the problem.

Saving fifty cents means nothing to me now. Just because a grocery store sells a cheap, non-organic version of a food item does not mean that I will buy it. I can almost visualize the chain of events that takes place when I make a purchase. Marketing techniques are savvy, taking into account each time a person like me opts for a slightly more expensive version of a product because it is organic. My actions in the grocery store are the equivalent of my donating money to charity. I pay more because I want to support businesses with ethics. Ours is a market-driven economy. Americans dislike governmental regulations and so rely on the market to control issues like corporate ethics. Unfortunately, not many people educate themselves about the marketplace and not many people can afford to make the choices that I do. Ideally, quality is more important than quantity. Buying food from people who take pride in what they do is a wholly different experience than buying food from people who do not care about ethics. I know that people who can barely afford to feed their families are more concerned about calories per dollar than about where that dollar ends up.

Simplifying my life means being more satisfied with fewer things. I used my car consciously today, because I needed to go grocery shopping. This afternoon I walked to the drug store. I needed deodorant, and I bought a new product from a company that usually markets their products in health food stores. Just seeing their products on the shelves made me feel happy and aware of how people like me have made that shift possible. A few years ago, we had fewer choices in terms of products that were good for us and for the environment.