so forgetful

Living overseas creates this strange phenomenon where at times you feel more in touch with the world (i.e. outside the bubble of America and seeing the way that the majority of people on this planet live), but at other times feel so out of touch with the world (i.e. no idea about current events or pop culture). And then other times you just forget about what your life in America used to be like... there were things I used to think about and wrestle through before I lived in Uganda that just don't often come to mind anymore.

One of those things is responsible consumerism.

I am aware of how ironic that sounds, since I work for a not-just-for-profit business that is all about social consumerism. But its different.... because I don't often have to think about how I am personally being a responsible consumer, since my purchasing habits in Uganda are so vastly different than in the US. I buy my produce from my neighbor Josephine, any clothes I get are from the second-hand market, and all the gifts I buy are from local artisans.

But yesterday I read a blog post by Heather Hendrick entitled "Hi, my name is Heather, and I'm a recovering modern-day slave owner" and it brought up all the old issues I dealt with when shopping in the US. The question: "did slaves make this?" Because there is slavery in this world. STILL. And that's what really blows my mind.

I jumped on the responsible-consumerism bandwagon a couple years ago and really put for an effort to educate myself about the brands I was buying and where my dollars were going. But that was two years ago. And believe me, I wasn't the first one to start thinking about this issue.... people have been talking about it for years and years. But living here, I forget that it is still a massive issue... and that some people are still unaware of what the companies they buy from are doing, and where their stuff is really coming from.

Yes, I've witnessed a massive improvement and so many more companies making socially conscious decisions in the past few years... but why is this still an issue? Seriously. Why isn't everyone on the responsible-consumerism bandwagon?

And I think that a lot of times it's honestly just easier not to ask the hard questions... to live in blissful ignorance... to just imagine that all the manufacturers of our products are over 18, well paid, well cared for, and working by choice. Because then you don't have to change your behavior.

Well, I'm going to have to change my behavior all over again when I move back to the US in a couple months, and honestly it's something I'm having mixed feelings about... Its almost effortless to live simply and in a socially conscious way in Uganda, but there's no challenge in that. Like I said, I actually forgot that this was something that occupied my mind on a regular basis in the US. So I think even though it will be a challenge, it will be good for me to reengage in this conversation that's still going on in the States.