Progress

I drove by myself today to Bangor and back. I joined a gym and went swimming. I parallel parked. I'm starting to learn the coins--20p is little, 10p is big, the one pound coin is small but thick, the two pound coin is large and thinner.

My breakfast is conservation grade. That means the farmers who grew the oats set aside 10% of their land to support birds, bees, butterflies, and other benefactors of Mother Earth. My duvet is made in the U.K. from fully recycled synthetics. Recycling bins are everywhere and are color coordinated for the intended items. All the beef at Tesco is sourced within N.I. On all the high streets, charity shops reside side-by-side with fashionable retailers. Oxfam, Cancer Research N.I., Barnardos, Age U.K., and so on sell used clothing. I love that charities are very visible in the retail environment.

In every respect, people live here with an awareness of their impact on the earth and their ties to each other. I think the U.S. is very different in that respect, leaning more toward consumption and isolation. Which model represents progress?