Cool to be Kind

There has always been a portion of the population that has vigorously cared for the environment.
In the past though, these people were considered ‘hippies’ and ‘dags’ or just weird for being ‘alternative’
Now it seems, caring for the world we live in, has become cool, especially when it comes to 20-somethings.
I remember an incident where I arrived at a friends wedding, dressed in a dress I had bought for $5 at my local op-shop.
The bride thought it was a Chanel dress and flipped over it.
“Oh my God, I lovvvve it!” She said.
When I told her where it actually came from, all of a sudden, her opinion changed.
“So you’re a vegetarian AND you’re buying clothes at Saint Vinnies??” she laughed.
I thought to myself, “This can’t be right, I’ve done a good thing here, by recycling and becoming a vegetarian, and she’s punishing me for it!”
After that incident, I decided to keep my ethical and environmental choices to myself.
Now it seems, young people openly brag about what they are doing to help their planet and fellow man.
I’ve even overheard conversations where there is one-upmanship going on.
“Well I recycle AND I’m donating to Medicins Sans Frontieres”
Well, I sponsored a World Vision kid and I’m not eating beef anymore” the friend quipped.
“Interesting” I thought.
It would seem I was 5 years too soon with my plan of openly talking about how I was helping the planet.
Last year, my partners’ family gave Oxfam gifts for Christmas.
This is where you hand over your money to Oxfam, and in exchange, you receive a card to hand to the gift recipient. This explains that something has been purchased on the recipients behalf  for someone who really needs it, in another country. Brilliant idea.
I received some chickens and my partner received a goat. I returned the favour and gave his parent’s clean drinking water, and some chickens.
My partner’s grandparents were not at all happy with this idea, preferring to hand over cheap wine and polyester socks.
It would seem the ‘older set’ haven’t caught onto the ‘coolness’ of being environmentally conscious, yet.
Op shopping is another trend that has become increasingly popular. Not only because 20-somethings can find something unique in a thrift shop, but because they appreciate that recycling cuts down on waste.
Becoming vegetarian is considered rather cool these days too.
I wonder if the trend started with girls wanting to lose weight and then they realised it was actually better for the environment…either way, they’re doing good…and bragging about it.
“I lost 5 kilos when I stopped eating meat, and it’s so much cheaper eating out now!” I overheard a girl say to her friend at the pub the other night.
“Cool” was the response.