March 25, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I’m sitting down at the kitchen table and only my father-in-law is up. He is boiling water and drinks some kind of healthy concoction that is definitely organic and plastic-packaging free. He is very healthy, and never let’s the outside world really dictate or influence how he lives his life. Much of why I am the way I am is from the loved ones around me. For our family, the remnant of the “old ways” are just a generation away. I think this is why I feel like a less-plastic life is so attainable. My in-laws have lived such healthy lives and have never wasted much, and they are rich in the things that matter – family, time, health and love. What more can one ask for?

Above is Mr. Plastic Picker’s last deordorant. It is literally his last single-use deordorant. It’s a plastic fish! I think it’s really clever and I really like it. I put it on Instagram. I think my Instagram friends will really like it. But mostly this morning I’m here for two hours and going to work on that section of the journal article I referred to yesterday. Yesterday’s blogpost helped me sort out in my mind the “why” for that piece. The “why” of any work or project I do is really important to me. It’s important to articulate the why and not aimlessly do things for no reason. Question, question, question. I’m never quite sure if my Crimson University education was worth it, because I only ever earned one Bachelors degree – but that was what we were taught on our first days in those hallowed halls. Question truth, and do not accept what is handed to you. So here I am questioning the value of that pricey education???!!! LOL. Probably not what they expected. [PAUSE]

It’s 630AM now, and it’s been a productive morning. I titled the blogpost “A Primer in Collaboration” and that was what I did. Again, last night I was overwhelmed again at the number of things I thought I needed to do. but looking at “The Last Deordorant” which is a true collaboration with Mr. Plastic Picker (because it’s his last deordorant) and myself (who made it), I realized that I need to collaborate and that many many people want to save the earth. So I reached out this morning.

1. Letter of Support for our APCD Board Candidate: reached out to my co-founder to help organize.
2. UC Berkeley Premed Panel on Environmental Justice: Reached out to three other people who might want to do it, and will just refer their names to our premed intern, fantastic co-founder who is organizing it. I really can’t do it, since I am bookended by two other conferences and the kids are on vacation. I do still need to be their mother.
3. Article: Actually got very good headway on my section #1!!! Yeah. Again I just needed to get into that space. Short and sweet and to the point is fine. I’ll work on the other section soon. I also emailed the group to remind them gently to work on their section.
4. Trash Art Project for Girl Scouts: This was just fun as we’re hopefully going to do a trashart project with reclaimed ocean beach plastic.

And that is pretty much it. When I write it out, it’s not as much as I worried about. The early mornings are wonderful to clear the mind and to remidn me what is important today. Since it’s 630am, I’ll do some morning stretching and check on the compost. I have clinic this morning and will be there for my patients. And I’m hoping to guerilla garden some succulents on an unknown parking structure that has planters that have been essentailly abandoned for over a decade. If you want to see, check our my Instagram feed! It’s another day to try to save the earth. If you are wondering what you should do, just watch the Greta Thunberg video from the Guardian that I posted on Facebook. That will kick you into gear. It’s a climate emergency not urgency. There is no better time to be a climate activist than yesterday, but today is better than tomorrow. Trust me. It’s going to take all of us.

Signing off your litter-picking pediatrician trying to help avert planetary disaster. Seriously.