And thanks to co-captain Carla, too!

Thanks to Anne Erling for coordinating this alternative to the traditional Yale Day of Service. I enjoyed the opportunity to reflect and to imagine that I could, however incrementally, change some behaviors.

I'm finding it rather easy to do activities I set out for myself to do. It's time to add another one, which I will pick later today.

While Ecochallenge's focus may be specifically on Earth Day issues, I can't help thinking that a mention of COVID-19 is in order: it's relevant, and scarily so, to our entire planet. 

So maybe this is a call for dialogue. I shopped yesterday at Hannaford, wearing a mask and gloves. Other shoppers wore them, too. But the checkout folks on that particular shift were not wearing any protection. 

I called the manager when I got home to inquire about the store's policy, which says that such protection is optional--that is, if doing so feels comfortable to the employee. I was disappointed when I heard this take on the situation.

I spoke to a friend this morning, who said that workers at Sam's Club were protected when he visited the other day. 

Thoughts? Advice? Thanks for reading and considering. 

The funny thing is I feel totally self-conscious about doing this challenge, but I suppose that's the whole point: lifting to awareness one's behavior. So if I see what I committed to doing and determine whether or not I've done it, that's not a bad way to be in the world.

Thanks, Anne, for organizing this unusual Yale Day of Service. Reading about the challenges every day will force me to think more critically than I ordinarily would about what I do/don't do for the sake of the planet. A lot of room for improvement!