A phrase I find myself saying more and more on a weekly basis is "save a little plastic," my customary response when I'm at my Mom-and-Pop convenience store in the morning picking up the best breakfast sandwich in the City of Charlotte and one particular checkout person who continually asks me if I want an over-sized plastic bag to transport said breakfast sandwich 10 feet to my car, where said breakfast sandwich will be half gone at the first traffic light. "No thanks, save a little plastic," I always say. I hope that others around me hear it and it makes them think about what they really need on a daily basis and how they can be more frugal. Imagine, if everyone in the world who bought a breakfast sandwich in the morning refused a plastic bag, too.
You see, too many people in this world don't fucking think. And although I'm by no means perfect, I do think about these things. I think about the daily plastic bags and the dead batteries I save in a large container so that I can take them to be recycled. I think about the tap water that doesn't need to be running when I brush my teeth and every light or TV that needs to be turned off when I leave a room. I think about the front door being open no longer than it needs to be when the dog needs to be let out and seeing how long I can keep my car on cruise control at exactly one mile over the speed limit when I'm on long trips in order to get the best gas mileage. I think about loading our high-efficiency washing machine up to the brim as much as possible. There are lots of other little things I think about like how our family is helping local farmers by getting our fruits and vegetables at a regional farmer's market every weekend and bringing our own reusable grocery bags to the store, to save a little plastic. I think about how long I'm going to drive my 2001 Honda Civic that gets phenomenal gas mileage, whose mileage currently sits at 99,995. And the thing is, these are just little things that really don't take any effort whatsoever, yet so many people completely fail at, and I'm not sure whether it is a result of stupidity or just plain laziness. Maybe a combination of both.
I'm certainly not perfect, far from it. It's almost inexcusable that I don't walk exactly 1.1 miles to the city's new Light Rail line. We've used it a bunch in the past and it's a gem, with anticipated ridership not even close to what the actual usage is. It would be cheaper than my parking pass, way cheaper. Plus I'm always yapping about working near the middle of the city with all the big bad buildings, so what better way to get out and experience it. So I realize there are plenty of fingers pointing at my own actions and inactions. I can do better. But I do try.
I suppose it could be a product of what is "in" these days. Not too long ago it was pretty hip to drive a gas-guzzling SUV or if you had a really huge cock, a Hummer. Funny how $3 per gallon gasoline made people rethink what type of vehicle to buy. And you know, for the upper-level higher-ups of the automobile manufacturers who are still making shit cars to the impulsive consumers who purchase them, it makes me wish for $6 per gallon gas. Hell, why not $10. Maybe that will make people think. We can do it, but too many times the consumer is not given the myriad of options that we certainly have the capability of achieving.
Taking a minute or two to put down the remote control and think about these things just takes time. It doesn't take money, it doesn't take a high level of intelligence, it doesn't really take any effort. Somehow, some way, we all got sidetracked from thinking about how we can all save a little plastic in this world. I used to do it for me and the feeling that I needed to be a leader among my social circles; it fits nicely with the whole attorney who changed careers and worked for a non-profit environmental organization theme. But you know, I've quickly grown frustrated as it brought me more in tune with who cares to think about these things (very few) and who don't give a shit at all (most). So now while I still think about these things and try to walk as lightly as possible in this fragile world to lead by example, I do it more for my son because I want to give him a good place to live. If that still doesn't make people think about saving a little plastic, then, as far as I'm concerned, they're hopeless. Fucking hopeless.
Take only what you need and leave the rest behind.
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