Green Guilt

What determines the line between teaching and preaching? I have tread that ground lightly for fear of coming off self-righteous and environmentally dogmatic. We can't presuppose that everyone shares our lifestyles and ideals (although they should, heehee.) And that statement right there is the problem, how do we get across to people? By letting them find their own way or waving it in their faces? If we take the latter route, we must stand guilt-less in our struggles. But today I bought a plastic bottle of milk. I went to the store, needed milk, and planned on buying my usual pint of Ronnybrook milk in the glass jar. BUT they only had the single serving in the plastic bottle. So...I made a decision and bought it and immediately (and still) feel guilty. I also enjoy taking hot baths, a total waste of water. I justify this by telling myself the amount of water I use in that one bath is counterbalanced by my otherwise minimal shower usage. I can't sleep without a fan on at night, but a well slept activist is better suited to taking on the cause, no? No matter how hard I try, I will always have something out of tune with my sustainable ideals, there is always a trade-off. We can tire ourselves out thinking about everything we've done wrong and soon it all seems too difficult, as we throw our hands up in despair and return to a life of apathy. Therefore, guilt has to be one of the most useless feelings. It dwells and stews in the past without allowing for change in the future. From now on, if I feel guilty about my actions, I'll do my best not to repeat it. Here is a promise to make yourself: if you're embarrassed about doing something, stop doing it. Starting tonight, I'm re-training myself to fall asleep without the hum of the fan. I may be grumpy for a while, but I'll still feel better in the morning.