Communicating with the 'Rents

Being home has forced me to realize that my parents and I have a hard time communicating the meaning of "green". And the goals I have set for myself.

They support my major (Environmental Science), even if they don't understand it. But my dad seems to think my major is ecology and I'll be working in the Michigan DNR for the remainder of my life. Working directly with wildlife and yelling at poachers during deer season. Now that is an option, however it's not the only path for my major.

A friend of mine, who has the same major, wants to work on urban planning. He wants to work on protecting the habitat within urban areas and restore habitat like buried rivers.

Another friend of mine is student teaching in Peru this winter.  He's found a school that has a nice program that combines his love of Spanish and alternative energy.

I've been volunteering at a nonprofit called the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust (SWP). My work mostly consists of calling participants in an energy program about how they felt about their participation. I also input data into an online database and various other odd jobs around the SWP.

As awesome as these other opportunities are, it's hard to translate to my parents.  My dad thinks I'm a telemarketer asking for money. Not a good impression.

The biggest difference, while at home, for me has been food.  I've recently become obsessed with cheese, most particularly smoked Gouda. But I try to get locally made cheese, non-name brand/mass produced or at least cheese from a co-op.

I asked my mom to drop me off at the local co-op while she was on her way out. And was immediately asked why I was going to that store?

After stating what I was after my father replies with, "And you think you're going to find it cheaper at the Organic Store?"

 Yes it may be a bit more expensive but more of my money stays local. Cheese seemed a healthier alternative to high calorie, high sugar chocolate cookies. Cheaper doesn't equal better.

In the end they humored me and gave me some cash like I was a small child heading off to the ice cream stand.