Every morning in my house we’d find our mother sitting at our large, dining room table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper spread out in front of her. She’d read the entire paper from front to back and update us on what was happening in the world, giving us a short, moral lesson with each story.

“They’re investigating President Nixon. See kids? If you’re honest, you’ll never get in trouble. Being honest is the best route to take.”

“Karen Ann Quinlan is being taken off life support. See kids? That’s why you never do drugs. She died so young because she took drugs.”

“A child was kidnapped in California. See kids? That’s why you never take candy from a stranger. Don’t ever go in a car with someone who claims to know you.”

 

*image borrowed from Pinterest / click to view*

 

These mini lectures stayed with me and the day I was almost abducted, I heard my mom’s words but they didn’t stop me from being curious and walking toward a stranger’s car. Normally I stayed with my sister and our group of friends but on this particular day, I was hanging back from the group when a white car pulled up beside me. I remember thinking how weird it was that it was parking on the wrong side of the street when the door opened.

I saw a man, reaching over the strangest looking woman in the passenger seat. She had white hair that was piled high on her head in a stiff bouffant. She was pale and staring straight ahead, with her hands folded in her lap. The man held something out to me and said, “Hey kid, ya want some candy?” Honestly! He used that line and a part of me was thinking, “Wow! This stuff REALLY does happen!”

I wasn’t scared, just fascinated by the woman in the front seat and I found myself taking a few steps toward the car just to get a better look at her. I heard my sister yelling, “Germaine! Run!” and right at that moment, the crazy lady turned and reached for me. I had run just far enough away from her so she couldn’t catch me and suddenly, my sister was by my side stunned, and yelling at me.

“What were you doing? Why were you walking toward that car?” She was terrified and we both stood there in disbelief. I couldn’t stop thinking, “Wow! This stuff really happens!”

I’m sure we told our mother when we got home but I can’t remember what else happened. The incident stayed with me and strangely enough, the memory of it makes my sister and me laugh. It doesn’t fill us with fear. We knew it was a one-in-a-million kind of thing, but to this day I’m still in disbelief I was almost abducted. I believe I owe this reaction to my mother.

Instead of scaring me with the what-ifs, she empowered me by helping me feel loved and safe. She built up my moral character, taught me love brings fearlessness, and even in the most challenging times we must face life without fear.

 

*image from Katie Doner Photography*

 

A little leap here but stay with me. See, I try to stay apolitical when I write my blogs, but everyone has an opinion. I welcome the views of others, regardless of whether I agree with them or not, and all I’m saying is that no one can deny the fascination we all had with Donald Trump before he got elected. I had a feeling he’d become president because just as I was fascinated and filled with disbelief by the woman in the front seat of that car, many Americans were fascinated and in disbelief that a public figure would speak so rudely and behave as outlandishly as Donald Trump. It’s as if many Americans had to get a closer look and no one heard so many of us yelling, “America! Run!” All of us are shocked and standing in disbelief and I bet even those who voted for him are surprised with the outcome.

For those of us who didn’t, we must bond together and remain fearless and strong, protecting the progress we’ve made, ensuring we don’t return to the past.

 

 

At Majamas Earth, we have come SO far in our eco-friendly fight and are more determined than ever to stay the course and not regress after all these years of business.

We believe in making beautiful clothes without hurting our beautiful planet, even though each year this becomes more of a challenge. Fabric mills are constantly closing in our country and finding a contractor to sew our clothing in the United States is close to impossible. We currently work with a few U.S. contractors, but if they ever close, we too may have to seek overseas production, which would go against EVERYTHING we believe in as a company. Our hope is that our president-elect can actually follow thru on his promise to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, but it’s up to the consumers (YOU) to support these products. Regardless of whether a president insists it is made here or not, U.S. manufactured clothing is more expensive to produce. This means it will cost you more, but there are many reasons why it is worth paying a higher price. (Learn more in WE WEAR: Clothes That Save the Planet) We encourage you to not only support Majamas Earth more than ever, but other USA Made companies you come across as well! Be fearless and confident – invest in quality products.

Even more importantly, we must bond together to ensure our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons and regardless of the color of our skin and gender, we must be sure we treat each other with respect, love and kindness. We must continue to improve our planet and our world and not let anyone regardless of what office they hold, take us backwards.

 

 

I am channeling my mother’s wisdom and I can see her at our dining room table with the morning paper spread in front of her.

“Trump won”, she’d say and I imagine her moral lesson would go something like this:

“See kids? We live in a world full of surprises and even though this man is not what we all wanted, we live in a country where we can voice our dislikes about our government without the fear of being imprisoned or tortured for them. So don’t sit quietly. Use your political right to speak up about the injustices that may come and don’t let the crazy man who enticed so many with his political candy hold all of us hostage. Stand together and protect what you have. Embrace this challenge because the biggest challenges really do turn into the biggest gifts.”

– Germaine Caprio, Company Owner & Designer

 

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Be a conscious consumer! It’s important to be knowledgeable about the products you bring into your life. Luckily, you can learn a lot about a company just by visiting their website. Look for labels with “Made in the USA” by brands that have a transparent supply chain. Please note that this tagline can be used even if a product isn’t 100% made here, SO…

BE INFORMED

Do your homework! There are endless amounts of articles on these topics. We share strong articles on our Facebook Pages, Twitter, and Pinterest – if you’re not following us already, please do so! We’re happy to share our knowledge with you. We all must learn about & continue supporting organizations that protect our earth such as Sierra Rise, Union of Concerned Scientists and The National Wildlife Federation.

 

BE HEARD

Spread the word on your findings to friends and family. Call on your local politicians and keep them accountable for any changes you see happening in your neighborhoods. Voice your opinions on Social Media and make an effort to connect with the people that can actually help you to make a difference. Hold them accountable, they’re paid to listen!

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