Friday, August 28, 2009

People who make intense (or, insane) year-long commitments



I just finished reading Julie & Julia in anticipation of seeing the movie tonight. Can you fathom making 500+ recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking? Hell no. Don't get me wrong, I totally admire Julie Powell's determination and commitment to this crazy idea. But the further I get through her book the less appetizing the idea of her journey becomes for me.

That all being said, a person's overzealous commitment to anything for one year is fascinating to me.

When my friend Heather decided to train for an Ironman, I was baffled (that sounds like absolute hell on Earth), but I admired her immensely.

Similarly, when I started reading Colin Beavan's No Impact Man blog, I wondered, "What leads seemingly, normal people to take on such intense, even masochist journeys?"

Have you heard about No Impact Man?

Beavan and his wife, Michelle, embarked on a year-long experiment to make no impact on the environment.

Translation:
"no trash, no carbon emissions, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no plastics, no air conditioning, no TV, no toilets…"

The movie comes out early next month and I have no doubt I'll be there on opening day. Just watch the trailer and you, too, might find the whole thing admirable, captivating...and completely nuts.

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