The Free Frontier

While the term "Mongo" itself is new to me, the idea of sharing with strangers is something I've been part of on both ends.  I've lived downtown at a few places now, mostly Front St, and furniture moves around there more than the homeless. I've picked up a chair (which I sit in while I write this), a folf disc or two and some bitchin BBQ-ware.  And I put out a couch which was gone in under two hours.  It was really cool to be a part of this totally random act of sharing. It wasn't fulfilling or anything, it was just kind of neat--the idea that something as simple as putting a free sign on something you lay near the sidewalk can be beneficial in so many ways. The most important benefit, I think, is what the process does to change our way of thinking.

In her trash article, Nagle describes how the problem with our trash output is a cognitive issue. I feel that when you do something like give away things that you would otherwise throw away, you are forced to consider the future of your trash.  You have to think about things from a broader, more long term perspective.  Sure this thing has no use to me now, but it may prove useful or even necessary for someone else.  I was quite alarmed to discover that the process of "mongoing" is illegal.  But resourceful people find a way around that with things like craigslist and freecycle.org. 

There was an article in the Independent a while back that featured an article about a woman who had outfitted something  like 80% of her house with "mongo"ed stuff--decorations and artwork included.  "Every single thing you see is future trash," says Nagle. An observation that should certainly leave you with something to think about. With so many people in the world, I believe that any action which simultaneously limits trash output and helps somebody else along their journey is, at least, progressive.