On my way home from the market this morning I stopped for a man on the street who was asking for change. I was on my way to Woolworths and so asked if I could get anything for him. He asked for a loaf of white bread and a few slices of 'Devon'. I had no idea what 'Devon' is. I had to ask him, and he said it was a kind of meat. I went to the Deli and looked at all the sliced meat (did he mean roast beef, or salami; ham or silverside) and then had to ask if they had 'Devon'. Living in the 'Parisian end' of Potts Point the Woolworths employee referred to it as 'Day Vonn' and got some from 'out the back'. To be fair to myself if the man on the street had spoken "Kiwi' and asked for luncheon sausage I would have known what he meant. But it is a long time since I've bought anything like this. In fact I have been known to frequent the local 'Artisan Butcher' where I buy organic lamb, or duck terrine. I initially asked for five slices - this would have cost $1.20 - so I upped the order to 10 slices. And felt overcome with privilege as I reflected on having no idea what the staple protein for so many Australians actually is. My milk and fruit together with his bread and Devon (which will probably provide him with more than one meal) came to under $20. I can easily spend this on incidentals that nourish no one and contribute to global inequity.
Then my friend Sally posted this list of "most middle class things that ever happened" on Facebook. It is certainly lol stuff, but with a certain poignancy at how trivial or ridiculous some of these concerns are. Easy to laugh, but I wonder what an observer would find in my lifestyle to add to the page.
So what can I do in the face of personal unearned privilege. Better to start with what I am doing. The wonderful Wellbeing Game is finishing soon and has provided an opportunity to be just a bit more mindful about my daily activities. Relishing relationships means that, even as an introvert, I introduce myself to people on the footpath asking for change and seek in some small way to actually 'meet' the other. I truly am trying to #buynothingnew in October and it certainly helps to reflect on what is needful and how resources can be shared rather than individually owned. For some time I have tried, and will continue to try, to make my consuming contribute positively so buying from the artist or producer, looking for great gifts like those in the Everything in Common catalogue, eating good fresh food and avoiding processed and heavily packaged alternatives, walking or using public transport as much as possible etc etc. I take pictures of my food and post them on Instagram to help Oz Harvest provide meals for those who need them in my community.
Advent Conspiracy invites me to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all in this season approaching the celebration of Christmas. It's not about spending nothing and giving everything. But every dollar diverted from meaningless consumption can and does make a difference. Looking forward to being part of a more sustainable and fair society. One step at a time.
