In one chapter of Little Town on the Prairie, Laura, Carrie and Pa join in the community festivities celebrating Independence Day. One part of this chapter captured my attention for the most basic reason. All through these books we are given social reference of a time and place and the way people operated, but this chapter gifted me with a little gem I knew I had to tuck away in my memory for later. As we started focusing water, this paragraph floated to the surface to share with you. Laure and Carrie, stood on and watched and waited for their turn to drink from the free lemonade barrel that had been put in place for all to drink from.

“The barrels stood in the grass by the flagpole. A few men were waiting for their turns to drink from the tin dipper. As each finished drinking, he handed the dipper on, and then strolled away toward the horses and buggies on the race track.”

As I read over these words, I was struck by the simplicity, trust and generosity. At this time in America, there were no plastic cups, no straws existed, they sipped from tin ladles that were repeatedly dipped into the barrel. This moment touched me as brilliant, and a wonderful insight to the changes that have happened in society, but also it was a reassuring antidote that change will continue to happen, and with the rising awareness we all have now, the change will be for the better.

Many of us would or can not feel comfortable drinking from the same ladle, but the lesson we can take from this, is that as our feelings and connections with each other and the earth once again change, so to will our action and ways of being. In the same way we look back on this example, we can also look forward, knowing that the way we use disposable cups and plastic straws now will likely shift because we know it has to if we want to be energy-efficient and conservative.

We all sense deep down that we can not continue producing ‘use once’ throw away plastic, and as our awareness increases other options and ways of being arise. Thankfully companies like Klean Kanteen are already helping us on this path, to create a change, that will write a better future. It is a wonderful habit to take a refillable water bottle or coffee cup with you, and in doing this daily we are training our children and caring for our future. If you can remember your smart phone, and keys, you can remember your water bottle! Be empowered, you will feel the beauty flow!

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