instant karma

I've been thinking a lot about karma lately. You know, what goes around comes around goes around comes all the way back around? Yeah, anyway . . . I'm just trying to figure out what it's all about.

Karma is "the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation."

I happen to believe in past lives and reincarnation. That's just part of my personal spiritual philosophy. Maybe I just find it comforting much like peasants had to believe that if they work hard in their lifetime they would be rewarded in heaven.

It might sound like new age mumbo jumbo, but it helps me get by and understand certain events and relationships I have encountered. I really do need therapy, but this is cheaper. And it's somewhat more productive than blaming what ever is going on in my life on someone else. I can just blame it on my past actions.

With karma, you do good and good things happen to you because you're making up for bad shit you did in a previous life, or previously in this life. But I like to think I've racked up enough karma points in this life to make up for whatever shit I did in the last one and therefore offset whatever shit gets thrown at me in this one.

The sad truth is that I don't do enough good deeds. I recycle, vote, try not to use up too much water and make sure to turn off the lights every time I leave a room. But I'm not saving the world or anything.

Regardless, I am a firm believer in the notion that every bit counts - even if that means donating old clothes to The Goodwill or holding off on printing emails.


I don't frequent Whole Paycheck, er, Whole Foods that often for the obvious reason. But last time I was in there I was on a "green" mission. I purchased two very nifty items to keep me green and on the go.

1.) An aluminum water bottle from Swiss company SWIGG - keeps the water cold and once you get used to the copper flavor of the water, it's pretty rewarding just knowing that I'm doing something for the environment.

2.) A canvas grocery bag that folds up into a little burlap sack. The best part is that by purchasing that bag I not only get a nifty bag to tote things in. I also did something decent. The money went toward feeding 100 children in Rwanda. Sweet.

It's a start I guess. I'll help save the world eventually, but until then I'll pack my Certified Fair Trade organic sustainable produce around in the tote.