Kweku's Challenge....

section 309

The Attempted plastic-less day. (Saturday, December 4 2010 )

I had planned to go a day without plastics several days ago, but like life, things change. A few hours ago I was asked to help a family friend out of town today; this is not what I wanted –so my entire preparation for this day is destroyed. I am sitting in my dorm bed covered by a very warm pink blanket debating if I want to re-plan this coming day. Due to the fact that I have to be up early, I will attack my bed and get the much need sleep. It is 12:34am.

It is 6:47am and I am sitting in a van on the way to a place near Milwaukee, WI, so I’ve been told. We are about 45 minutes from our destination and I believe that I have failed this test already. Compared to my original plan, I have left my dorm building and have not touched the already laid out clothing. I woke up at 5:30 and rushed out to the bathroom to wash my face with soap from a plastic bottle instead of the bar soap I had placed on the table. In addition I carried with me my wallet, which had in it a lot of paper, a few metals and my Wisc Card. If I had a choice, I would not carry it, so I blame that failure on the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Apart form that, my exit at 6pm was successful. But now I am sitting in a van with word, metal, and plastic that I cannot refuse. This day is set-up to be a plastic evasion failure.

I have very little time to write but it is we have arrived at the destination and helped setup shop. We are at a fundraising for a community in a school and my uncle and I are vendors of African crafts of all kinds, with the exception of a few products. As predicted, I failed to avoid plastics. The heavy products were kept in large plastic containers, which I needed to help with. Lucky for me, almost none of the crafts were made of plastic but they were reinforced by plastic bubble wrap. Obviously, that was bad news, but the good news is that it would be touching the plastics just twice that today. Around me there are many people with plastic cases to protect their goods (they are vendors too) and I I’m a little overwhelmed but I suspected as much. Customers and are out and about so I need to get to work, I hope I do not get too exposed. It is 9:13 at the moment.

It is little past 1pm and I just got back from MacDonald’s with TWO plastic bottles in hand. I am not surprised; I expected it. I rarely eat out, but due to our circumstances, I was asked to get some food, and the only food store in sight was the DES BPA infested place. I guess we have to do what we have to do to survive, even if it means getting sick. In other news, I am happy to say that I have avoid touch any plastics until now. The vendors beside us finally arrived, and they are selling recycled paper, decorated and shaped as gifts bags. They have also included a tag to track it, which I believe is very unique and eco-friendly. The funny thing is that they are sitting on plastic chairs; maybe I should talk to them about BPA effects, and maybe they will start selling products that advocate eco-friendliness and human health. It is just an Idea.

It is 8pm and we are about ready to call it a day a pack up. Despite how much of a failing day I expected, I believe I have done well. If anyone is wondering, I have concluded that it is impossible to live without plastic in America, the G8 to be more accurate. In places like Ghana, I can definitely see myself living without plastics and BPA! I have not found an alternative to avoiding plastic when trying to get water, and it is too important to resist. As I have observed all day, I believe that everyone had some kind of plastic on his or her body. From the shoes on their feet, to the pins or bands on some people’s hair, people use plastics whether they need it or not, and I guess I do too. I am saddened that I have failed but at least I know it is impossible if the society if as developed or close to being as developed as the United States. We are about to pack up and leave. Here I go again, to fail at escaping plastics again.

It 12:12 am and I am too tired to write this but I know I have to, because I did not get a chance to write in the van; it was too dark and bumpy to do so. Packing and getting back to the dorms proved to me that plastic can control my security and shelter, as proven by my Wis Card. I have learned a lot about myself, and wish I could change my habits. I have hope that someday I can live a life without the poisonous chemical.