Why I Moved to Arkansas

That’s right. Arkansas. My friends from LA and the east coast keep texting me pictures of overalls and jokes about banjos (deliverance). It’s funny. It’s fine. I’d do the same thing if the tables were turned.

So, why Arkansas? It’s pretty simple actually.

For the last few months that I was in LA, I was talking with a friend, Ben, about Pure Charity and their upcoming launch. Pure Charity is an awesome organization. They work with lots of grassroots nonprofits around the world that are dedicated to making a direct impact in their communities. They connect people (like you and me) to these causes and provide a platform to support and fund projects through everyday activities like buying clothes or booking a flight online.

Ben has done a lot of their design (he’s ridiculously talented) and he is friends with the founder. I had a lot of ideas for their digital marketing and he wanted to put me in touch directly. One thing lead to another and before long there was a job offer on the table. The only catch… the job was located in Northwest Arkansas.

Let me back up a bit. When I was in college I boycotted Starbucks. Why? Because they are one of the world’s largest coffee suppliers and, henceforth, a big player in an industry responsible for modern day slavery and exploitation of workers around the globe.

I was a social and cultural anthropology major. When you are spending your days writing papers for classes like “Global Problems” and reading books like “The Earth Then Shall Weep,” it’s hard to avoid the fact that there are atrocities being committed so that Americans can enjoy a good cup of coffee or buy cheap clothes.

I became slightly militant about human rights and social justice issues. I wouldn’t buy clothes form a normal supply chain. I wouldn’t drink coffee from a big brand. I got fired up by music from bands like Rage Against The Machine and I attended events to raise awareness about issues that matter.

Then one day while I was writing a term paper for my “Global Problems” class, I learned about Fair Trade. Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Basically if you buy anything with the Fair Trade logo on it, you can rest assured that the people who produced it were paid a living wage. You sit back, sip your coffee, and take pride in the fact that you, good citizen, are helping a create a better world for everyone. How do you take your latte? With an extra shot global awareness and a side of satisfaction thankyouverymuch.

The first time I saw that logo on a bag of starbucks coffee, I couldn’t believe it. I immediately purchased the bag of beans and I’ve been buying and enjoying fair trade starbucks for years since. That logo is what got me back in the door. That, my friends, is Cause Marketing.

Cause marketing is a type of marketing that joins efforts of  a “for profit” business and a non-profit organization for mutual benefit. It is just what it sounds like. It is pairing a cause with a product. If there are 2 bags of coffee next to each other on the shelf and they are the same quality and same price, I’ll grab the fair trade bag. Every time. I’ll even pay more for it if I have to.

People will not stop buying coffee. Americans will not stop buying cheap clothes. They just won’t. Big brands will not stop selling these things. They just won’t.

“Every dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want.” I’m sure you’ve heard that. It’s a basic truth in a capitalist economy.

Rather than boycott big brands and take your voting dollars out of the system, why not cast your votes for something that you support? Why not buy fair trade? Why not buy a product that aligns with your values? Your purchase will communicate your message to brands for you. It’s simple supply and demand. If you will buy it, brands WILL produce it.

It’s a different approach. Positivity vs. negativity. Engaging vs. boycotting. A brand will do just about anything they have to in order to keep you engaged.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not against boycotts and strikes. I love the passion. The conviction resonates very deeply with me. I’m a big fan of anything that advances human rights and social justice. These types of actions can be very effective at raising awareness. That said, they are not for everyone, and they are not a total solution. We need to have a solution.

Pure Charity is engaging. We are building partnerships with lots and lots of big brands. We are offering them a way to connect with consumers who care. We are offering them a chance to do what they do while making a positive impact on the world. We are offering consumers a way be involved and tangibly experience this positive impact–without having to drastically change their shopping behaviors.  It’s incredible and it’s exciting.

So yes, I moved to Arkansas. Once I understood it, there was no way I was going to turn down a chance to be a part of this. The people at Pure Charity are awesome. They are kind and passionate about what they are doing. They all genuinely love going to work in the morning. And NW Arkansas is not quite what I pictured. It is VERY nice. We live in a house on a lake and it’s a super nice area. I wouldn’t exactly say I’m suffering for a cause

Rain in the Canyon

Southern California is known for its blue skies and it’s no wonder. They are amazing. We see them a lot here. Rain is a rare occurrence indeed.

There is something inside of me that absolutely loves rain. Thunderstorms… thick clouds of fog… gentle drops… I love it all. Maybe it comes from growing up in the lush green woods. Maybe it’s something more elemental having to do with the source of all life. I’m not sure what it is, but when we get a good rainy day, I feel like it’s Christmas.

We have had the good fortune of enjoying 4 nice rainy saturdays since moving out here. When I wake up to rain, I like to put on some nice acoustic music and start cooking something that will take all day. I like to make forts with Senya and give Zuri people food. The house is filled laughter and happiness. At some point we put our raincoats on and go play in the puddles and explore the creek, then we come back in to a warm, dry house that smells of delicious food.

Love

Joy

Beauty

So Much Change

We have officially been living in California for over 6 months now. That might not sound like a long time, but it is incredible how many changes take place in 6 months and how they all add up.

My trusty backpack that I’ve taken on countless trips including forays to 5 continents has finally had to be retired. I’ve also traded in an old computer and an old phone for newer models. I’ve cut my hair and gotten new clothes.

At the time of our move, we had a pickup truck, a honda accord, and an old motorcycle. All vehicles had Pennsylvania plates. The old motorcycle was totaled and replaced with a newer model. The Accord was traded in for a Fit. Both have California tags. We gave the truck to a friend when we moved. It’s strange to realize that we have had 100% turnover in the automobile department and we now drive CA vehicles that most of our friends and family members have never seen.

All of these small pieces of a puzzle come together to form a new picture.

Within months of our move, my grandmother passed away unexpectedly. Recently a dear friend of the family died after a long struggle with his health.

I moved out here and took a new job. My niece started middle school. My baby brother traveled to South Africa on a grant and is getting ready to graduate from college!

When we moved out here, Senya was just learning to walk. Now she is constantly running, jumping, and climbing. When we moved, she knew a few essential words. Her vocabulary is expanding every day and she is experimenting with sentences. She has outgrown most of the clothes we brought out here with us.

I’ve been struck recently how the mere passing of time results in such vast cumulative change. Trying to keep in sync with all the daily happenings of friends and family both here and back home has been more challenging than I thought. Things like blogs, Facebook, and video chats help. So do plane tickets. We got some by the way. We’re heading out east for a visit in a few weeks.

Crazy Fun Dogs

Combine:
•1 veggie dog
• several uncooked noodles
• 1 pot of water

Yield:
• 1 happy kid

Directions:
• See Below

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Sometimes Dads are Wrong

Yesterday when we were getting ready to go to red rock for a little hike, Senya grabbed her beloved rocking horse, “Happy Cow” (she named him all by herself), and said “Dada, bring Happy Cow.”

Immediately and without really thinking about it, I said “No Senya we aren’t going to bring Happy Cow with us. We are going hiking. Let’s just go.”

She looked at me with confidence, said “no Dada, bring Happy Cow,” and then she grabbed him by the reigns and dragged him across the room to the front door and stood there resolutely looking at me while awaiting my response.

I thought about it and I wondered briefly if I should stand my ground and use this as a teaching moment to highlight the importance of parental authority. Then I realized I had just said “no” without thinking about it. Why not bring Happy Cow? What’s the big deal? I recognized I may have accidentally done something rather stick-in-the-mud-ish and I didn’t really want to take a strong stance to defend it.

Upon further questioning, Senya insisted that it would be Fun and that she really wanted to do this. We really had quite a long conversation about it.

The end result….?

Happy Cow Made the Team

The Wild West

This is exactly what Senya had in mind

And she was right. It was fun.

I forgot to mention that, upon convincing me that her idea was a good one, Senya also grabbed her inflatable turtle on the way out the door. Why not? Let’s bring the whole gang. As it turns out, this was a great idea too.

Winter Dirt Sledding 2012

Good Times

Give yourself a hand

Ever since Senya learned to walk, I have asked her “Do you need a hand?” when she approaches an obstacle such as a set of stairs or a rocky spot on a trail. I love holding her hand and guiding her.

She is pretty steady on her feet now, and I am constantly amazed by all that she can do. She is a brave girl and she is always exploring. Still, sometimes she encounters something that is a little too daunting and she reaches her tiny hand up, looks at me and says “Hand?” I love these moments.

This week, I have seen her approach an obstruction, pause for a few seconds in consideration and say “hand.” She then clasps her tiny hands together and marches forward self assuredly.

self confidence

Watching Senya learn to rely on herself has been encouraging to me in a number of difficult situations recently. It is amazing to be reminded of the big truths by someone so small.

Losing Touch

I usually try to keep this blog light, bright, and polite (social media best practices in case you are wondering). And by usually, I mean every few weeks when I find a few spare minutes to post something. Tonight I’m going to change it up by posting some recent reflections that can’t be summed up in a few adorable photos of Senya.

Picking our little family up and moving west was a difficult choice. In reality, it was our best option on quite a number of levels so it might seem like a no brainer, but in fact, it was hard to uproot and leave so many people that we know so well and love so dearly.

Upon moving out here, I determined to keep in close touch with everyone I love. That has proven to be much more difficult than anticipated.

When I wake up in the mornings, I generally try to spend a few precious moments with Senya and/or Lindsay before getting ready for work and running out the door. I drive my motorcycle to work, so a cell phone call is out of the question. While at work, I don’t have a second of down time. I don’t have a single day in the office that affords me time to write a personal email, duck out to make a 5 minute call, or even send text messages. After work, it’s back on the motorcycle, and then home for a few precious minutes before Senya’s bed time. By the time she’s asleep, so are most of the people I never get to call out east. A three hour time difference didn’t seem like much before we moved (after spending time in East Africa and SouthEast Asia, CA didn’t seem that bad), but it really does make a difference. Add to that the fact that we don’t have enough cell reception in our house to make a phone call. It really is difficult to call people to talk. With work being as demanding as it has been (lots of 14+ hour days recently), there isn’t a lot of time left to sit and write a thoughtful email. When we get some free time, we like to cram it with as much family togetherness and fun as we can.

The end result of everything I’ve written above is that I have really started to lose touch with people from home. People I love. People I don’t want to see fade away. I have found text messages on my phone that are over a month old that came in when I was at the office and I never remembered to reply when I had 10 seconds free from work. I have found voicemails from weeks past that I don’t have time to listen to at work and I don’t have reception enough at home.

Whenever I do get the chance to Skype with someone from home or shoot a few texts back and forth, I am always so happy. I always come away thinking “that was great. I really need to make time for that in my life.” Unfortunately I have not lived up to that enough.

If you are reading this and you are someone who considers me close in your life, please don’t give up on me if I haven’t been good about keeping in touch. Please feel free to keep trying to get in touch with me. I sincerely want to get better about this and any reminders you send will be much appreciated. That said, I can’t promise that I’ll be good at it, so please don’t take it personally if I don’t get back to you right away.

I’ll leave you with a funny story. I was recently emailing a someone about this exact topic. I was explaining why I’ve not been good at keeping in touch and apologizing for not treating them in a manner that reflects the closeness that I feel for them in my heart. He replied to my email and informed me that the google ads on the side bar of his web-based email client read “why men pull away.” HAHAHA. Thank you Google content network for reading our emails and serving us such relevant ads.