The Living Lightly Project

Last night my friend Dava and I went to the premiere screening of David Chernushenko's new documentary, Be the Change. It featured an assortment of Ottawa area residents who are striving to "live lightly". We arrived right on time to grab a couple of the last seats in the front of the auditorium and I have to say, I'm glad we made it because I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Far from portraying the "doom and gloom" feeling which seems permeate many environmental films, this project was a refreshing departure from the usual. It emphasized the positive impact we can all make through our own individual, sometimes small, sometimes bigger decisions. I was fascinated by his choice of individuals, sometimes understated, sometimes very colourful, and sometimes just very ordinary; each of them offering their own perspective. I was completely inspired at the end when David, as the narrator, talks about like-minded individuals coming together and leading the Living Lightly movement as a joyous procession (I wish I could remember the exact words to quote them!). What a nice image.


If you get a chance to see this film, jump on it.


This film also made me feel better about our recent decision to downsize from our current house to a smaller one. Hearing about friends who are doing the exact opposite of what we're doing and buying a big house in the suburbs to accommodate their growing family has made me wonder if we aren't completely nuts to give up the space we have. After all, we already have a hard time getting and staying organized in our existing space on a good day. David's film has reaffirmed that our decision was the right one for us. I'm still thinking it will be challenging to purge our excess stuff (but God knows it will feel good!), get organized and stay organized but I'm feeling positive overall about seeing our project through and teaching our kids to live lightly. Thanks David!