MISSION: Make the Earth Better

When I was growing up, I was convinced that I would single-handedly save the planet.  I had dolphin photos all over my room, a Greenpeace calendar every single year (from Santa, of course), and I always made sure I cut up those plastic soda rings into millions of little pieces.  I even went so far as to paint a giant earth on my bedroom closet's white door, much to the shock of my parents.

I was a serious tree-hugger.

I still am, to some extent, because I love this planet and the creatures on it.  I'm a vegetarian, I recycle like crazy, and I use my reusable shopping bags for everything. 

Speaking of reusable shopping bags, Affiliated Agent M of Enfield, Connecticut, completed her first mission recently, which involved, of course, kindness..AND homemade love!

Date: Thursday, 21 October 2010

Location: Enfield Public Library; Enfield, CT

Time: 9:25 p.m.

Affiliated Agent M tells us about her first mission:

Hi Laura!

I am soooo excited to finally be writing to you about my mission. When I first signed on, I had lots of ideas swimming in my head (I hope to use all of them over time) but I wanted my first one to really be a piece of me. I am a very environmentally conscious person and try daily to make a difference for the planet when I can, i.e. recycling, shutting off the water, using a water filter and especially reusable bags! I try to always have one in my purse and at the ready.

That being said, I decided to try and make my own bags from random fabric. I took an idea from a gift my sister gave me and ran with it. It is a reusable bag that folds up into a little pouch with a loop to fit on a keyring. I can't tell you how handy it is~especially at the drugstore when picking up just a few things. So I whipped out my little Shark sewing machine, with no real sewing experience to speak of and got busy. I spent a rainy Friday evening watching movies and made six different bags! I was so excited, but still unsure about the actual mission itself. I wanted the first place to be really random, but still in a place where someone might readily be able to use it too.

Then it hit me! I needed to return my library book and the movies I had watched to the Enfield Library in Enfield, CT. The best part, they have a book drop that you can drive up to after hours. It was perfect! I wrote up a card about the bag/mission using a beautiful original notecard paitend by my best friend Marla. Then I enclosed a Secret Agent L card and sealed the envelope. Because I was leaving it outside on a cool, autumn New England evening, I put it in a ziplock freezer back for protection. I grabbed my keys, camera and industrial packing tape and hit the road at 9:25 PM on Thursday Ocotber 21, 2010.

It was so exciting to be performing my first mission and it was even more so because it was night time and I felt so "Secret Agent-y". I pulled into the library and made sure there were no cars in the parking lot. The last thing I wanted was to be caught my first time out. I taped the bag to the outside of the bin with the note in plain sight and took a few quick pictures. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I felt absolutely giddy! Now I am even more excited to strategically place the remaining 5 bags. I think I may bring one to NH this weekend when we go to visit my daughter for her college's parents' weekend!

Laura, thank you again for the inspiration, and I promise this is only the beginning for me!


Peace and Love,
Affiliated Agent M