Looking back, looking forward

When I started the Going Green Project one year ago today, I was hoping to chronicle an adventure. My first idea was that this blog would be a journal of sorts—one that followed me around as I learned about how to become truly, authentically green. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I was hoping a blueprint for “going green” might eventually emerge.

Over the course of the year, I started to drift away from this original idea. I allowed myself plenty of leeway to write about whatever I wanted. (It’s nice to make up your own rules, isn’t it?) I wrote a lot of posts about the Presidential election in the fall. Although it wasn’t technically about my own adventure, it felt important enough and relevant enough that I wanted to share my thoughts. In fact, I think it added a lot to the project. Blogs can be a strange thing—they are somewhat narcissistic by definition. While it’s interesting to for me to write about my trip to Home Depot or offer a breakdown of what I had for dinner, it may not always make for the most interesting read. So by opening it up for more general discussion, I hope that it added a bit of variation to the proceedings.

In addition, I discovered that being green can mean a lot more than worrying about what’s happening in your own home. Issues of green jobs, the economy, sustainable business practices, and many, many more are all interrelated. It doesn’t make sense to be looking only inward. At the same time, I don’t want to forget about the original intent. Which means, lucky you, that there will still be occasional posts about what I’m eating for dinner.

With all that in mind, I’m going to keep the wide-open format of the blog going for now. In fact, I’d love to expand the format and try to do as many new things as possible. As to what those “things” are, you’ll have to check back to see what happens. I’m not suggesting you hold your breath, necessarily, but I have a few ideas I’d like to experiment with.

Finally, and I’m going to stop short of making a pledge here, I would love to keep to a stricter posting schedule. There were too many times over the last year that I didn’t write about something cool, interesting, funny, or important, simply because I didn’t have the time. Let’s see if I can crack the whip on myself and make sure the blog is always fresh.