Thought for the Day - The Green Thing

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you.

When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad that the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?

Author Unknown.

[Bobby]

Well put!

[Jayell]

That was great, John.

[momoffduty]

Very good!

[Chuck Engels]

That really is some great insight, thanks for sharing John.
I'm passing that on to some friends of mine

[Ron]

[Chuck Engels]

Got this response from one person;

Funny, but a little one sided. Doesn't mention the 12mpg cars, lead paint, or unregulated disposal of toxic waste.

This was my answer;

I wonder what’s worse?
Might rather have 12mpg cars rather than the mountains of trash and the need to build more and more nuclear reactors.
The part that really gets me is how disposable we have become, it’s really insane.

Overall I think there are definitely some things that can be learned from the past and applied again today.
Sure would help to create some jobs too

There was a lot more coal burning, propellants, DDT and yes even mercury and lead. Heck, we used to play with Mercury in school, sure was cool though. But there are plenty of things that could revert back to the way it was done in the past that would help the environment a lot.

[Dave McElderry]

In those days when the toaster or radio or other small appliance broke you took it down to the fixit shop and they repaired it and you used it for another 10 years. When it broke again you probably had it repaired again and got another 10 years out of it. Things were built to last. Now they're built to be disposable (as Chuck said). If it cost less than a few hundred dollars and it's out of warranty it goes to the landfill.

[momoffduty]

My mother still has her first microwave. Think they bought it back in the early 70's and it cost $300 back then. Still works!

A couple of boys from my grade school class had a job after school at the local liquor/confectionery store. Their job was sorting the empty return bottles. It gave them a little pocket money. Think they had to sweep the floors too. That job would not work now.....they would be underage (10 or 12 yos), it would be in a liquor store, they would be handling glass, etc.