The McGLOINS

Meet retirees Mary and Tom Mc Gloin from Staten Island, New York. Mary, a former high school educator and coach, and Tom, a former data specialist with a telephone company, have been living green–without even knowing it!–for the last 50 years.

Inspiration to live green: Of course the environment is important to us, and of course we’ve always wanted to make every dollar we spend go as far as possible–but we really just want to live without waste.

Our Shift of Habit is: In our home, we try to limit our use of heating and cooling systems–so much so, that the gas company once thought we were stealing gas! They came and inspected all the lines, and suspected impropriety because of low usage. But all we were doing was being vigilant. It’s really just about conserving, not living wastefully, and making the most of what we have. This philosophy of frugality and simplicity has allowed us to spend our money on things that we can really savor and enjoy, as opposed to writing a huge check to the utility company every month.

What makes us happy is: One of our greatest joys is traveling. We’ve been all over the world–to all seven continents. But when we travel, we aren’t interested in touristy things. We really try to engage with and experience the local culture. We got remarried by a Shaman in the Amazon, and ate guinea pig in Thailand. In Wales, we had a typical dinner with a typical family in a typical home. In Sicily, we ate out in the farmland where our hosts grew their own vegetables. (We went to Antarctica, but we didn’t get a dinner invitation from the penguins.)

Best piece of advice: Life is short—so it’s important to have a spirit of adventure! It is never too late to keep challenging yourself with new experiences. I started doing New York’s five-borough bike tour just six years ago. Mary enjoys exploring the open road in her Prius and, of course, we both love to travel. But you don’t have to fly across an ocean or buy a hybrid to see the world in a new way. All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Take advantage of hikes and walks offered by national and municipal parks—many provide free guides. Just keeping our eyes–and hearts–open to the world around us is what keeps us feeling young.