To my friends, I’m the quirky tree hugger—the one with an odd sense of style and even stranger beliefs. They love me, thank the good gods, because by now I’m sure some of them suspect I’m trying to swindle them into joining a ‘cult.’ One topic we keep circling back to is sustainability. But not the textbook version. What does it really mean? Who lives it? And why does it feel so loaded?
I’ve always wondered why my version of normal—hugging trees, loving old things, choosing wildflowers over malls—feels so outrageous to others. And why something as beautiful and well-intentioned as “sustainability” now raises an eyebrow.
The truth is, as a species, we’ve always known how to nurture. We’ve planted, harvested, crafted, and passed knowledge down through hands. But somewhere along the way—rushing forward, chasing more—we left our hearts behind. Now, we’re fumbling our way back. Back to something basic. Back to living with, not just on, this Earth.
I won’t go into the politics of it—it won’t nourish you or me. But I will say this: We’ve turned “sustainability” into yet another box. One with high walls, price tags, and gatekeepers. You either fit in or you don’t. (A friend once told me that to her, sustainability looks like an overpriced brown sack dress. 🙆🏾♀️)
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
To me, sustainability begins with mindfulness—awareness of how we consume, how we create, how we care. It’s not about deprivation. It’s about depth. We’re not meant to strip away beauty, but to rediscover it—intentionally, consciously, in ways that honour the earth and the craftsmen behind each ‘thing.’
It’s the quiet art of asking:
Can this be made better?
Who made this, and how were they treated?
Is it valuable—or just another thing?
Does it hold meaning—or is it just more?
I meant to skim this lightly, I really did. But the heart has its own tide, and mine carried me here.
If you’ve read this far, I hope you leave with something to smile (or argue) about.
Maybe even a small question to carry into your day: What does sustainability mean to you?
Khumo ya ga Seamogano
Visual: Tumbler. True Source Unknown.
