SuperForest

I wrote this piece in 2008 and for some reason I never published it. Now seems as good a time as any. Love.

-Jackson

Goooooooooooood Morning SuperForest!

I’d like to tell you all about how SuperForest came to be, how it came to be what it is now, and how and why I SuperForest full time. Sit back, fasten your brain belts.

In 2005 I was working in Kauai building a house. I worked from 8 AM until 5 or 6 and then I had the rest of the day free. Most days I would go surf. But when the waves were down or the weather was junk, I would stay at home and look around online. I have always been interested in technology, and the new branch of technology known as sustainability was particularly interesting to me, as it concerned the future of human growth and our success on this planet. I spent many fine afternoons researching sustainability online.

I thought: “Man, this green movement is really exciting! I really want to play a role in this somehow.”

So my idea was to produce a show about green power, called: Green. This was ‘05, and if I’d done it then I would have had a two year drop on Planet Green and treehugger and all of the beloved sites and channels we’ve got today that are dedicated to the green lifestyle. I guess I needed more time to think. :^)

Cut to a year later… Now I’m living in Los Angeles, and Barry Holiday and I are busy working on the second version of the green show idea. Now the show is called “Creamy Forest” and it’s a sketch and variety show to teach kids about sustainability and sustainable behavior. A lot of work went into Creamy Forest. Many scripts were written, drawings done, puppets built, costume choices explored. But something didn’t feel right.

I knew inside that I was trying to express something big, and to do something that had a ton of meaning, and used technology to help itself spread. I felt that Creamy Forest had to be something bigger and that it and I both needed more time to explore and think. At this time I was working as a cameraman/videographer for the amazing Andrew Zuckerman. Andrew said that if I wanted to, I could come out to New York and that he and his partner, the incredible Alex Vlack, would partner with me on making Creamy Forest a reality.

So I moved to New York, with SuperForester Baloo and my then fiancee, Linda. We drove across America and ended up in a basement apartment in Harlem. I set to work with Andrew and Alex full time in March of 2007. The name Creamy Forest had been an issue (too evocative?) and was changed to SuperForest. The switch from Creamy Forest to SuperForest was a small one, but energetically it was a revelation.

My days consisted of writing, drawing, and creating. Miss Christine Norrie came in to work with me on the drawings, and together we produced a lot of amazing artwork, none of which has ever seen the light of day. (One day…)

SuperForest was going to be an epic kid’s show. The action all took place in a green skyscraper in Manhattan, with a magical forest on its roof, where Jackson SuperForest and his pals would have adventures and learn new and wonderful things. It was an incredible time for me, full of creation and growth.

Since I was spending a lot of time each day researching sustainability and learning about who was doing what, I started compiling big lists of cool things I found that made me happy, and that I thought we should cover on the SuperForest Show. At first, I was sending these lists around to everyone in the office, but since I sent them daily, my officemates were overwhelmed with sustaino-techno-goodness.

So, in October of 2007 I started a blog on blogspot called “SuperForest NYC.” For the blog, the only real rule I set for myself was to make sure that everything I posted made me happy, or inspired me. That was it. The posts had to elevate my mood. Pretty flexible. It was a good way for me to keep track of all the amazing things I was finding online, as well as my growth personally.

Going back and rereading some of the earliest posts are pretty funny. So much has changed, and so little has changed. I believe now just as I believed then that humans are good inside and that if their basic necessities are met, they will behave well towards each other.

I had been blogging for a few weeks when Andrew asked me to sit down and write what would become the Humanifesto.  Writing this little document turned out to be a huge turning point in my life. The Humanifesto became the nucleus around which SuperForest formed. I figured that if people would think of their rooms, houses, towns, and cities as “the environment” that it would make the idea of “saving the environment” much more accessible. If “environmentalism” could be as simple as cleaning your room, painting a neighbors fence, and being polite to each other, then more and more folks would be willing to become environmentalists.

With the Humanifesto written and beginning to spread around, I found myself developing a new way of doing things in response to negativity. I have been to many protests, marches, and demonstrations. I’ve made signs and chanted and walked to show how I felt. But something always felt wrong. Energetically, to come out and say “NO!” to anything felt like a missed opportunity. Instead of saying no to things, I would start saying “YES!” to things. And I would say yes louder than I had ever said no.

I would not attend an Anti-War Rally. I would Party for Peace. I would not criticize companies for dumping chemicals into our lakes and rivers, instead I would highlight the companies that were being environmentally responsible and I would cheer loudly for them. Even massive companies that had unfortunate histories of destructive behavior had parts of themselves that were doing good things. I would work to support and spread the word about any good deed or action undertaken by anybody. No need to hold a grudge. If Clorox buys Burt’s Bees: win for Clorox! Win for Burt’s Bees! Win for me for telling you about the win!

I call this New Environmentalism, and it is distinct from old environmentalism in several ways. New Environmentalists use the internet to join forces, and they use positivity to accomplish their goals. They do not start fights, they do not protest conventionally. New Envionmentalism is about having fun and being smart. Using the tools we have in new ways.

Old environmentalism seemed to be about being outraged at damage to the environment and giving that outrage a voice. New Environmentalism is about realizing that people are people, that behind every atrocious act of environmental destruction there are people making decisions. If you want to reach those people, and help them make better decisions, well, it helps to be friendly.

To move beyond outrage to a point of acceptance, to embrace the power of technology, and to use love and positivity to foment change are the defining characteristics of New Environmentalism.

SuperForesting has brought me to a point where I’m beyond looking to assign blame. People are people, they make mistakes. Let’s help one another learn from those mistakes and grow past them, thought I.

Through the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, the SuperForest philosophy began to firm up: Have fun. Be interested. Post interesting and post often. Reach out to people and connect them. Move beyond blame, beyond right and wrong. See the good in everything. Promote that good. Make everything a victory. Set up victories for people. Seek to create win/win/win scenarios. And above all, make it about the people. Who are the people that are creating the most wins? Find them. Promote them. See the world as an interconnected whole. No “us vs. them.” Just different shades of “I”

It is by doing this that SuperForest has grown into the site it is today.

SuperForest began with just me writing, then Superforester Niki joined and began posting. Then SuperForester Taylor. Then SuperForesters Julius and Jaell. One by one, we’ve all joined up and begun the journey of learning how to SuperForest in our daily lives. That is what the site truly is. It is the document of our growth as SuperForesters.

For those of you who have been reading SuperForest since 2007, the growth that we’ve undergone must seem amazing. It’s amazing to me. The site has been visited a quarter million times by people all over the globe, and now there are 17 members of Team SuperForest, all posting the things that they love and that excite them. This is my wildest dream come true.

When I began SuperForest, I never thought about the power of positivity blogging. The term positivity blogging wasn’t even a part of my consciousness. I just knew in my heart that I wanted to help influence positive change, and that I had to do it my own way.

SuperForester Jackie made an excellent point over lunch the other day. He asked me if I felt as much negativity inside as I express positivity outside. The answer is yes, and no.

I had a very difficult time growing up. I always felt alienated and lonely. I felt angry and enjoyed using that anger to hurt others.
For many years I made a careful and calculated study of negativity. I explored destruction and hatred very thoroughly. In the end, I found them to be dead ends. When you are constantly destroying, the end result is that you’re left with nothing.

I wanted desperately to leave something good behind, but I needed time and space to decide what and how.

I am very fortunate to have two loving parents who have supported me my entire life. Their support has allowed me to spend the last three years here in NY working on SuperForest full time. They pay my rent, so that I don’t have to get a job and can focus my energy on creating what you see now.

By having space from the demands of capitalism, I was able to see a lot of things clearly for the first time. The Humanifesto speaks about providing everybody with food, shelter, open-source communication, freedom from fascism, which is exactly the gift my parents gave me. Now, my work is to extend that gift to as many people as I can, and simultaneously work to spread the idea that providing for your fellow man is not only wicked cool, it’s a lot of fun. Perhaps the most fun thing there is. All upside, no downside, and you can put your head on your pillow at night and feel good.

Positivity attracts. Negativity does as well, but is harder to sustain, as it doesn’t feed you. Negativity is like junk food, all rush, no sustain. Positivity on the other hand, is like a long, filling meal. It will feed you and allow you to pursue still greater acts of positivity for as long as you wish. That to me is pretty miraculous. Positivity is sustainable.

In freeing me from the stress of capitalism, my parents gave me the greatest gift: The knowledge that to do what I most loved (SuperForesting) I didn’t need much. I live in a nice apartment in NYC, but I could just as easily live in a mud hut. So long as I have internet access, I can pursue my bliss. My needs are minute. I could very easily be a janitor by night and a SuperForester by day. I could just pick up and recycle cans. As long as I had a roof over my head, some food, and time to check and reply to emails, and post, I’d be content.

That said, I’d like to give you all the recipe for starting a SuperForest of your very own, that you may feel the same thrill I feel every single day. The recipe is also on the top left-hand corner of the blog, free for all, take it and do with it what you will.

How to grow your own SuperForest:

Start a blog. On this blog you will do two things: Only post what you love. And, post every day. This is harder than it seems. In the beginning, no one will be paying attention. Most blogs only last a few months, but then after no one comments, the bloggers give up. Understandable. A blog without comments is just a monologue. It’s getting to the crucial stage where people start commenting that is the hardest part.

But here’s the thing: If you post only love and excitement, and you do it every day without fail, two things will happen. The positivity an excitement in your words will begin to attract readers, and readers comment. If you ask your readers to send in ideas, they will. Some of those readers will send you lots of great stuff!

Ask those readers if they’d like to blog alongside you. The snowballing power of positivity now rears it’s golden head.

The second thing that will happen brings us back to SuperForester Jackie’s question about the negativity I felt inside, and that is: The transformative power of positivity. Since I began SuperForesting, my life has changed completely, and for the better. For me, seeing the silver lining in unfortunate things has gone beyond second nature and has become the norm. I have learned that everything and everyone is here to teach me. I have learned that when I get mad, to forgive myself for my anger and to thank the person (or situation) that angered me for providing me with the opportunity to not react negatively.

Simply by writing down positive things, day by day, post by post, you will begin to feel more positively about life. You will feel more stable and even tempered. Things won’t upset you needlessly. You will be able to think clearer and faster.

You can totally hack and rewire your mind using this technique. I should probably patent it and sell it in a late night infomercial. No, the world should have it. You should know this. This info has value.

There is powerful mojo going on in the world right now, and I am struggling to keep track of it. Everything is changing so fast, and the changes mean so much, that I cannot fully comprehend or anticipate what could possible happen next. This uncertainty is stressing the planet out. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Salvation in the form of an answer to how we’re all going to keep on living? Destruction and chaos in the form of yet another war? Who knows?

But I do know this: Our shared enthusiasm and joy, coupled with the internet, makes it easy to link together. To form a community based on shared interest.

With enough of us doing it, we will soon find our species totally connected up!

Everyone will be linked together, in a technological, six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon, web, that will finally visually illustrate how we are but one organism.

Much love,

Jackson

Good Morning SuperForest!

In February I wrote about Frugan Living, the blog of Katherine Fairfax Wright. Fairfax, as she’s known, has been enjoying the abundance of food and items she’s rescued from the streets of NYC.

Katherine is tall, well-read, fiery, compassionate. A busy yogini, chef, writer, documentarian, blogger, who took the time to venture to Brooklyn and spend the day with the 4Fives.

Katherine Fairfax Wright is SuperForestastic!

SF: How has your frugan lifestyle affected you over all?

Bits of it have been engrained in me since I was a wee lass sticking my nose in the air at the sight of my dad eating fruit well past its prime, explaining to my friends why our lawn looked like it was wearing a sweater (my dad rerouted the washer plumbing to water the grass, though we could have done with a better lint filter), attending every library book sale and garage sale in the neighborhood, taking our bottles and cans to the recycling center (my brother and I got to keep the cash), scouring thrift stores with my grandma and aunts—these were typical weekend activities. And since I declared myself frugan, not so much has changed either. My schedule and everything the same, I still travel a lot, work a lot, have great friends. I think people think it takes far more time and headspace to be frugan than it does. Resource consumption is indeed something I am always aware of—but that includes my time, I don’t want to waste my time more than anyone else does. But seeing as it doesn’t usurp all my time, I see no reason not to provide for myself while at the same time curbing my own waste by utilizing that of others. And while doing so, I’m (re)exposed to the ill effects of our consumptive practices, which serves as a constant reminder of why I started doing this, and what habits I’d like to see improve. Living this was has made me a more conscious citizen. It also serves as a tiny outlet for me to feel like rather than just reading a lot about these issues, I’m doing at least a little something to counteract the negatives.

SF: Have you ever gotten sick from eating found food?

Nope. I’ve never had even the mildest of ill effects from eating found food. It may help to realize that this stuff is for sale on the store shelves less than an hour before I get to it. Although that said, recent events in the news would indicate that even purchased food is not without its pesky microbes.

SF: Have you ever gotten into trouble while foraging? And if so, how did you deal with it?

Nope. I’ve come across employees at most shops, and the occasion is very rare that they are anything less than friendly. Besides maybe a quick comment to make sure you’ll close up the bags after, they really let you be. It also helps that, at least with my neighborhood shop, I also purchase stuff there, so they know me as a customer as well. If you engage with them, or even just make eye contact, it helps to personalize the situation, and take it beyond just the act of a random individual getting free stuff from a shopkeeper’s overhead. I’m sure any shopkeeper is as adverse as I am to chucking goods he or she has paid for, and in throwing out the goods, he or she is really only keeping up with consumer demand.

Passersby either don’t notice or just give me a slightly funny look. Or maybe it’s more of a double take when they notice my nice coat or my iPhone earbuds. I’m obviously aware that I’m not a typical dumpster diver, although if you spend any time with a group like the Freegans, you’ll notice that even they are quite a varied bunch. Nevertheless, of course there are certain stereotypes surrounding this kind of lifestyle, and while I do break the mold, it just serves to show that anybody can do this. It’s as legal for me as anyone else. That said, I’m not advocating for people to dumpster dive, it’s just what happens to work for me at this moment in my life. What I am advocating for is for people to make conscious and conscientious decisions about their resources: time, capital, environment, and so on.

SF: What is your go-to foraging outfit? Any special tools?

Lots of canvas bags, rubber gloves (from previous dives, a mix of the laboratory-types and the dishwashing ones), a little LED light is helpful for the black bags. Rubber goulashes and some sort of scrounging pole are helpful in the proper dumpsters, but most trash is just in trash bags on the street. During summer it’s fun to dress in fun clothes, but in winter, I’m just concentrating on staying warm and dry, while maintaining my dexterity and ability to schlep.

SF: Have you gotten much feedback from people who been inspired by your actions?

As of late, some comments to this effect have come to the fore. But more noticeable, for me at least, is the effect I’ve had on my friends. Despite initial hesitation in some cases, many of my friends come out with me regularly—which makes the event much more fun, it’s always fun to mix a mission (as in an actual set goal for the evening, not so much an ideological one) with socialization. And those friends who don’t come out are always willing to eat what I cook, or some come over to take groceries home after a good score. They are also always sure to contact me before they throw something out that I might find a use for, or to ask questions about travelling abroad, or building shelves or the best paint to use, or what have you.

SF: How did the mention on boingboing affect you?

It made my traffic increase by about three gazillion…for the time being at least. It may have also made my dear parents feel like maybe there is some greater reason why their daughter, on whose education and etiquette they have so labored over, eats from the trash.

SF: What (if anything) would make you stop living frugan?

I can’t really stop being frugan. While the label is something I only came up with a year or so ago, I’ve always exhibited the characteristics that it’s comprised of, and I don’t think they’re going anywhere. That said, I entirely expect my methods of fruganism to shape-shift with time. I’m considering a move back to Los Angeles, for example, in which case much of my garbage foraging may come to an end, but I do intend to have garden full of yummies (assuming my thumbs prove green), maybe a hen-house, things like that. I’ll always love second-hand goods. If I ever owned a thrift shop I would ask my donors to tag their items with stories about the goods: this was Aunt Mildred’s, baby Jake puked on this once on Halloween, the scratch on the left is from my dog Caligari, who had three legs so he dragged his feet. The meaningfulness of a story, or at least the fodder for small-talk it provides, I think easily surpasses any set-back eminating from an object’s status as used. I’m so much happier wearing my grandma’s clothes than some random garment from a shopping mall. Although if I am going to buy something, I’ll always feel more contended buying a designer dress from Loehmann’s than Barney’s. But that’s just me, it doesn’t have to be everybody.

SF: Who/what/where inspires you?

Most of my inspiration comes from reading. Lester Brown. Jared Diamond. Michael Pollan. Jeff Sachs, and the work of the Earth Institute as a whole. GOOD. Worldchanging. TED. Those are the big names. I took a great class on the anthropology of consumption, which gave me a lot of food for thought about value systems and how arbitrary they are. But on a more personal level, backpacking, both in the wilderness and travelling abroad has taught me supreme admiration of two things—nature and people…and thereby spawned an inquiry into their peaceful and sustainable cohabitation. For the two to coexist in a maximally pleasant manner, I think that individual adjustments have to bore their way into social norms. I have no intention of prosthelytizing the wonders of dumpster diving (it really is just what happens to work well for me right now), if I’m going to preach anything it is just that stigmas should be taken with a massive dose of salt, and that as idealistic as it sounds, creative approaches can ameliorate a lot of sticky situations, and yield a satisfying sense of self-rule. People like gifts, people like beauty, people like food, people like people. I understand that, it’s just the elements that fulfill those desires that are all wonky—people let the way of the masses dominate the way of the self.

But that’s enough ideological banter for one day. I’m gonna go instantiate it now by way of the shiny bookshelf I spot peaking out from the snow on the sidewalk downstairs.”

A huge “Thank you!” to Katherine Fairfax Wright for all of the incredible work she is doing on behalf of her fellow human beings.

Check out Frugan Living!
And K’s visit with the 4Fives!

Jackson recently posted a question here on SuperForest, and it was answered within 12 hours of posting! This is definitely an example of the generous nature of all of you Superforesters out there who see a call for help and answer with gusto!

So…I thought I’d put you to the test, SuperForest! Can you help me, too? I am trying to grow my blog, After the Harvest into a business! After years of trying to put my round self into the square peg of the corporate world, I’ve decided to do what I love and hope the money comes! What do I love? I love to write, research, share, create and think up big ideas! I love to engage with others and share creativity and love!

So far After the Harvest has been a blog committed to food and drink, and it will remain on topic in the future, but I’ve been trying to wrack my brain for ways to allow it to make money for me, or expand it in other ways so it can sustain my life — sustainability is what we are all seeking, and unfortunately sometimes that starts with paying the bills! I’ve already got Google Ads on there, but I’ll be replacing them soon with private advertisements supporting companies I believe in — so I’m not really looking for ways to monetize the blog; rather I’m looking for services I can provide to others for payment that will be an extension of what I’m already doing. What do you think I have to offer to potential “customers”? (although I am not a fan of the word customer…I like to think of them as friends I’d be helping out, and they just happen to be paying me in paper money!) I suppose they’d be my patrons, right Jackson?

Take a look around the blog and let me know what you think I should do! Do you know anyone who has created a business out of their blog? Suggestions are welcome and so are questions! One creative mind sometimes just isn’t enough — I need my SuperForest community to help me :) I do have a poll on the blog that asks what types of events local people might be interested in, as that has been the one idea I’ve come up with — putting on events. However that costs money too…

Don’t worry though — I’m not going anywhere! My commitment to Superforest is stronger than ever and I will definitely be able to contribute more in the future, I just want to grow my little blog that could!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! If you would like to email me personally, feel free to do so at aftertheharvest@gmail.com

Thank you for reading, SuperForesters! I am trying to  live the dream, I just need a little help :)

SuperForester Heather

image by WHDesigns

This blog is a collaborative effort between my talented sister Wendy and myself, and it is largely inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution! For more info on Wendy you can check out my former post on WHDesigns, and for more info on Jamie Oliver, check back to my post on Jamie’s TED Wish!

Little Foodies will unite us in sisterly love and creativity in an effort to celebrate kids, art and food! It is so important that kids today know more about the food they are eating so that they can make conscious food choices as they grow from little peanuts to full-sized Superforesters! We will be sharing all kinds of fun stories, ideas and of course, Wendy’s awesome art, so please feel free to send our blog address to anyone you know who has little ones at home! (Or you can enjoy it yourself, as we are all just kids inside anyway, right?)

Here we are, circa 1981 about to enjoy Mom’s famous brown-sugar icing…

Just two sisters’ attempts to try to make Jamie’s wish come true…and make our world a healthier, more beautiful place for future generations!

The Return of the Amazing Jackson! from The 4Fives on Vimeo.

It has been far too long since last we all hung with the 4Fives. SuperForesters Jackson and Jackie cruise out to P.S. 58 to hang with Brooklyn’s finest, and what a reunion it was!

Walking in to a room of cheering happy children, who are as thrilled to see you as you are to see them is an experience everyone should be lucky enough to have.

Love to All,

Jackson

Check out the 4Fives blog!
And peep the new logo they designed themselves!

Brilliant children! The best of the best.

(image via townofbeloit)

The world was transforming. The people were joined together in a giant web of positivity and promise. Awesome Blog now had hundreds of thousands of readers, and the ladies worked full-time to spread the message of hope. The Awesome Blogs around the world called out to each other to come and visit, to see and share further.

Around the world, problems were being solved by the people. They used their blogs to share information, to join together, to create new energy.
When the government couldn’t fix something, the people did it. And soon life was better for everybody.

The ladies of Awesome Blog decided to travel the world, and help others achieve. They went around the world and donated their time and energy to helping those that needed help, and they documented all of the work online so that their friends back home could watch. They built houses, they built windmills, they learned and they taught.

They laughed and they shared. They danced new dances, and sang the songs that their new friends taught them.
The world began to shrink as their adventures took them far and wide, up and down, from pole to pole and back again.

And everywhere they went, they left smiles, and shared.
And everyone they met knew them as smilers, and sharers, and as dreamers of a grand dream.

They had seen a world that was good and green, and they had been able to share it using the internet. They had written about the happy green world as though it was there already, and slowly, the world became exactly as they described.

Everyone had joined together in a huge happy web, and they were working together to solve the problems that humanity faced.
All wars had been forgotten. All religions were respected and tolerated. The Earth had become a happy, green planet.

The ladies of Awesome Blog had traveled across the globe, meeting marvelous person after marvelous person, and everywhere they went they worked to turn sadness into joy. Turning vacant lots into gardens. Turning scraps into compost. Turning problems into opportunities.
And they were just one group of many groups working to remake and retrofit the world. Living the Awesome Blog way was an easy choice and it was adopted with enthusiasm.

It was the people of the Earth that saved the day in the end. The people may not have all been wise as individuals, but joined together online, they were the smartest and most able creature imaginable.
Everyone treated each other with compassion and respect. The world blossomed like a flower.

New forests were planted. The fish and the creatures of the sea were allowed to regrow and replenish. Our cities became clean and efficient. Old destruction gave way to new growth, and old wrongs were righted, ancient promises finally kept.

The ladies of Awesome Blog rejoiced, and they hugged one another in glee.
There is but one final step, said the woman, with smile lines now fringing each eye.

We have turned Awesome Blog into Awesome Planet, but there is one step further to go…
Oh tell us, they said!

Awesome Universe, she said.
And they all of them smiled.

The End…

I hope you’ve enjoyed the story of Awesome Blog and the caring and crafty catros who have made it a reality. We all of us have the power to save the environment, and by extension the world. We just link arms, smile brightly, and step forward.

Love to All,

Jackson

At last, we’ve arrived at the penultimate installment of Awesome Blog Saves The World, about a group of inspired young ladies who are trying to remake the Earth into a happy green planet, one blog post at a time.

Here are the first five parts.

(image via flickr user JdeB)

This is how the girl’s show would work. Every other day, they would arrive at a new school. Everyone would assemble in the gym. The lights would go down, and music would start. Out of nowhere, twelve costumed girls run onto the gym floor, each dressed as a superhero.
The heroes remove their masks, and introduce themselves. Then they tell you how to save the world.

The environment is yourself, they would say. If you make the environment mean yourself and your world around you, then it becomes easier to save.
If you are kind and considerate, and treat the people around you with love and respect, you will be happy, and you will make other people happy.

If you take this one step further, and start a blog, where you put not only all of your happy thoughts, but also record your progress as you explore the new environmentalism, then you will be happier still, and you will inspire further happiness in others.

If you learn to make things with your hands, and you share these skills with other people online, then soon we will all be sharing with each other, and learning from each other, and then we will understand one another better, and we will be better at solving our disputes when they arise.

Then you can take this message out into the world and share it with everyone you meet. And your life will be transformed. You will be happy, you will make other people happy, and you will have saved your environment.

With enough happy people and enough saved environments, who knows, they would say, may great big things could happen?
And that’s when the music would start. That’s when everybody would dance, and feel excited, because now they knew that the environment could be saved, and they knew that they could save it.

Everyone would work together to start Awesome Blogs, and on these awesome blogs they would keep track of the amazing things that inspired them.

The girls worked hard, and spread their message everywhere they went. There were hundreds of Awesome Blogs all over the world now and the world was starting to feel different.
The news now reported how many babies had been born every night, and what phase the moon was in. Scientists and diplomats found themselves with new fans. And Awesome People all over the world found themselves being paid attention to. Everyone was winning.

It is a grand time! said the young woman to her friends. Yes! they replied.
But there is still more fun to be had! said the young woman, and all of their heads reeled at the thought of still greater adventures.

The happy green world is within our grasp, she said. There are but a few more steps…

(Concluded in Part Seven!!!)

Awesome Blog Saves the World Part Five! In which we learn of the continuing machinations of Awesome Blog, the ladies that run it, and the uniting of the Awesome Blogs of the Blogosphere. Here are parts ONE, TWO, THREE, and FOUR.

(“The Innocent Kids” – by flickr user Carf)

Things happened rather quickly after that.

The ladies of Awesome Blog plunged headlong into learning about every subject they could discover. They learned about astronomy, and physics, and math. They learned about the Earth, and the plants, and animals that lived upon it. And mostly they learned about learning, and how they each best could learn, and they shared the tips and tricks of learning on Awesome Blog.

They learned about sewing. They learned about baking. They learned how to make movies about learning to sew and bake, and they shared the movies on Awesome Blog.
SuperForest shared new information and instructions with Awesome Blog and Awesome Blog did the same in return.

Soon everyone was good at a great many things! The ladies had learned so much, and now knew how to make so many things for themselves, that they noticed something very interesting.
They talked among themselves and all realized that with all the writing, making, and learning, they had begun buying less and less.

When one of them needed a dress, they made it. One of the ladies was an excellent baker, and she brought in fresh rolls. One of them had the perfect backyard garden and brought in tasty salads. One of the ladies had an aunt who raised goats, and she brought in fresh goat cheese. Over this delightful lunch, they discussed their good fortune.

Ladies, said the girl (who was a young woman now,) Step Four was to learn and make, and most importantly to learn how to learn and make, and to share that learning skill with the world using Awesome Blog.
Step Five is now to become pure Awesomeness our very own selves, and to share that awesomeness with the world.

And that’s what the ladies of Awesome Blog did.
They decided to put on a great big show.

They would take their show around the world, and they would show everybody how to have a good time, Awesome Blog style.
They would tell people that to be happy, and to make this planet a happy green planet, all people had to do was know that the environment was themselves, to start Awesome Blogs of their own, and learn to make and share their knowledge with the world.

They would remake themselves as superheroes, and they would inspire other people to join them.
They would have to work very hard, but they had a wonderful plan..

(Continued in Part Six!!!)

The adventures of the ladies of Awesome Blog continues!…

Here are parts, ONE, TWO, and THREE.

(image via johnlund.com)

Awesome Blog was now a year old, and was read all over. The girls had been amazed to receive emails from all over the world with suggestions for things that could go on Awesome Blog. They had asked people all over to join in the quest for the happy green planet, by starting Awesome Blogs of their own.

So, what exactly are we waiting for? is what they had asked for a while, but the answer had always been the same. You’ll know it when you see it, the girl would say with a wink.
So they wrote for Awesome Blog. They captured the world as a grand adventure, as a place of golden opportunity, and they shared this vision with the anyone who wanted to read it.

The ladies of Awesome Blog were editing a short piece on the school’s newly installed solar panels when an email came in.
I wonder what that could be? thought they all.

Ladies, said the girl, gather round. This is what we’ve been waiting for. This is Step Three.
And she showed them the screen.

Hello Ladies of Awesome Blog!
My name is Jackson SuperForest, and I run a blog of my own.

It seems that we are fellow superheroes in the epic fight against sadness, anger, and negativity.
I and my fellow SuperForesty Superheroes have also decided that we are the environment, and we offer your our partnership, that we may better spread the word.

With our strengths combined, we can make even more people happy, and who knows, with enough happy people maybe big things could happen?
With Love, Respect, and Admiration… Jackson SuperForest.

Step Three ladies, she said with a smirk, is for all the Awesome Blogs to join hands, and get to work.
SuperForest is an Awesome Blog, and Awesome Blog is a SuperForest.

Their readers can be our readers and we can share information and experience. When everybody shares, everybody wins.
And the girls all smiled at each other and they knew that this was true.

For their constant exposure to happiness had transformed them, and they felt like they were on their way to saving the environment, which was themselves.
The next day, Awesome Blog wrote about SuperForest, and SuperForest wrote about Awesome Blog.

And both blogs found new and interested readers. New discussions began. New information was shared. New ideas were created and these led to newer ideas, and newer ideas on top.
Now there were two of them. Two happy little blogs in the world wide web. Each of them spreading happiness.

In no time at all, there were four blogs all putting only happy things on them. Then there were eight. Then there were sixteen. Then thirty two.
And the idea spread and spread.

The environment is a small thing, it is yourself. You can save it by treating the people and things around you with love and respect, and by sharing that love and respect online so that other people may see it and be inspired to pass it along.

It was a happy time for the girls, and it was a happy time for the world. People from every continent were reading each others blogs, and getting into debates, sharing new ideas, arguing about which was best in life. It was a very happy time for all.

And the ladies of Awesome Blog had a meeting. They said, what then is Step Four, oh fearless leader, of the trip to happy green planet?
Now we get to have the most fun of all, she said. We have our lovely blog in place, and we have people who read it.

Now we get to make things. And remake things. Now we get to remake ourselves…

(Continued in Part Five!)

In which we continue the story of the girl who dreamed of a happy green planet, her friends, and her multi-step plan for accomplishing her wonderful goal.

Here are parts ONE and TWO

(image via flickr user heavyweather)

The cake was delicious and moist!

After cake had been eaten, and milk had been drunk, it was time for songs and revelry. So everyone danced and sang, and that consumed much of the afternoon.

Dusk found the girl and her friends atop a hill, watching the sun go down, and someone nudged the girl with a bare foot to continue the story of the happy green planet and how to make it real.

The girl sat up and said, I cannot tell you. I must show you. For step two is something you see with your eyes. I will need twenty four hours.
And the next day, in the computer lab, the girl showed all her friends step two…

A blog! A blog of your very own! they all exclaimed. Yes, she said, this is how we will continue the quest for the happy green planet.
And she showed them her blog. It was called Awesome Blog Saves the World. And they all ooohed and ahhhhed.

For last night, she had taken pictures of her messy room, and then her room after she had cleaned it up! She had the two pictures on Awesome Blog as before and after. This, my friends, is environmentalism, she said. She had also written on her blog about how happy she was to have a blog, and how it was going to save the environment. It was a very happy blog.

And that was how it started… Awesome Blog became the place where the little girl put every happy thought she had. It was where she put pictures she took of her new environment, the world around her. She had pictures from when she volunteered to help clean up an old playground. She had links to songs she loved that made her happy. She had quotes that inspired her. She had pictures of her friends.

One by one, all of her friends began to read Awesome Blog, for it was so happy, it made them feel good. And reading about how the girl spent her time giving back made them feel good, like they were a part of something bigger. And soon everyone had a suggestion for something that should be on Awesome Blog.

Soon, Awesome Blog had entries about how the school had started an organic lunch program, and its smart recycling system, and teachers who were running programs to give back to the community.
All of this went on Awesome Blog, and very soon the girl had asked all of her friends become writers for Awesome Blog as well, and they all poured their love and enthusiasm into it.

Very soon, the whole school was reading it. And all of the parents. Soon, the whole town read Awesome Blog and got to know all about the happy things going on in the girls lives. They wrote about the things they saw and learned that made them happy, and feel proud, and they shared it with the world.

It was easy to love Awesome Blog. And the people who read it felt like they really got to know the girls that wrote for it, and everyones lives were richer for it.
And the girls were very happy, and they loved their blog dearly, but they had a question…

How is us putting love and happiness onto the internet going to save the world? they all asked.
And the girl smiled with joy in her eyes and said…

We wait.

(Continued in Part Four!!!)