Spreading the Good Stuff Episode 5 – Going Slow…
Many of our guests who attend our twice-annual Spreading the Good Stuff events at Junction talk about the important take-home messages from each unique gathering, and last night’s conversation about ‘living slow’ with Sam Ferrier was no different.
This fifth event in our series was once again a sell out affair and we are overwhelmingly grateful for the support this positive platform for important conversations has received since its inception in June 2016.
Sam shared her passion for the environment and her commitment to living a slow and intentional life and discussed how this can look different for everyone.
“It’s not about being wrong or right… it’s not about shaming people,” she explained when discussing her passion for sustainability in the face of our over-consuming society.
Sam is the Campaspe Shire Environment Projects and Education Officer and is passionate about empowering our community to consume less and become smart recyclers.
She is also an advocate for living a slow and intentional life and was quick to clarify last night that it’s a journey and not a destination, and that no one is perfect in their approach.
“It’s about awareness, and balance… and the understanding that you can live a full life, while still living slow,” she said.
The conversation was a powerful one, with the 70-strong crowd agreeing with Sam’s explanation that “slow living is the opposite to keeping up with the Jones”.
She did warn however, that when it comes to living a slow or intentional life ‘one size does not fit all’… and that we need to be careful not to get caught up in the ‘race’ to become the slowest!
Despite the mountain of evidence indicating our community and the world is being overrun with our obsession with throw-away consumables and our love affair with single-use plastics, Sam is optimistic about our ability to turn the tide and credits state-wide bans on plastic bags across the county as a major step in the right direction.
Sam believes we are moving from the initial education process of understanding the impact that our ‘waste’ is having on the planet to an ‘action’ phase where individuals, organisations and governments are taking positive steps to a more sustainable future.
She credits this positive change to a strong community-based movement (think Plastic Bag Free Echuca Moama and Boomerang Bags) and powerful messages such as those presented in the ABC’s War on Waste series.
“Local community groups are doing a lot of work and I feel conversations (around sustainability and waste) are definitely becoming more mainstream,” Sam said.
Our slow conversation last night was the perfect platform to discuss the potential for Echuca Moama to be officially classified a ‘slow city’ via the Cittaslow organisation and we are involved with a group of locals keen to see this process begin in the very near future.
A Cittaslow accreditation for Echuca Moama simply means shining a light on all the incredible individuals, groups and organisations already living a slow and intentional life here in our riverside community, and celebrating the benefits.
Specifically, Cittaslow ‘slow’ cities are towns that encourage diversity, support local culture and traditions, value a sustainable environment, healthy living and locally grown produce, and we believe Echuca Moama is well positioned to tick many of these boxes.
If you’re keen to throw your support, in any way shape or form, behind a slow movement for Echuca Moama, subscribe to the The Splendid Word database to be kept in the loop and jump on the Cittaslow website to learn more about this Italian based concept.
We thank Sam for sharing her story with us last night and for giving her authentic self to an important conversation.
We are also extremely grateful to the 70 wonderful people for coming along and to those many individuals who continue to show support each time this unique event comes around every six months.
Running these events with Junction is truly a gift and we are blessed to have this unique platform to foster powerful and important conversations within our community.
Stay tuned for our next event coming in late November and ensure you’re subscribed to be the first to know all the details of Spreading the Good Stuff Episode 6.
For those keen to learn more about Sam’s approach to living a slow and intentional life here are some links to the podcasts, books and other tools she mentioned last night:
- Slow Your Home podcast and books on slow living by Brooke McAlary
- Hygge – the Danish approach to living, which is all about simple pleasures. There are many books on this topic and Sam recommends this one by Charlotte Abrahams – https://www.charlotteabrahams.com/books/
- The Minimalists – if you’re keen to loosen your grip on ‘stuff’
- The Rogue Ginger (aka Erin Rhoads) – on creating less waste
- Bea Johnson – on living a zero waste life
We also have some fantastic links below, thanks to Sam, to help demystify the recycling process and help with important decisions around waste:
Fact Sheet – Kerbside Waste and Recycling – Your A-Z Guide (2)
Thank you again Sam, and everyone who came along, for helping us to spread the good stuff,
Christy and Leonie
xo
