Wow, thanks for this incredibly insightful piece. We live on the corner of a busy street and I am constantly picking up trash. I mumble and mutter a lot as I am doing it. You’ve given me a lot to think about and your comparison is spot on!
Thank you so much for this beautiful refection on how to live in a broken world. I can hardly function these days because of the mess all around me, near and far. I needed your wisdom and kindness to make it through today, tomorrow, and on, and on. Bless you, dear Charlotte.
Good essay, good thoughts as usual. I would like to remind everyone that explanations are not the same as excuses. You can understand why some people do selfish things, but it isn't an excuse. I also try to remember that anger is a non-productive emotion and can easily lead to other non-productive behaviors; it's destructive and not creative. I live in an apartment complex and I occasionally find trash in the small patch of grass between the sidewalk and my 1st floor windows, or near the mailboxes or even on the ground by the trash bins. Some of it is accidental, some of it is deliberate. I just pick it up and dispose of it because it bothers me. The only person I can control is myself. I do curse people when I drive, and I've been known to flip them off, but no one is perfect.
I was waiting for a bus in downtown Seattle once, and a guy threw his garbage leftovers from a Big Mac out the window onto the street. As the light was red and his back window was open, I ran up to his car, picked up the tomato and lettuce, and heaved it into the back seat. Light turned green, I stepped back.
Not that long ago I was in the parking lot of our local hardware store (small town) and some guy with out of state plates tossed a whole back full of crap out of his window. I picked it up and said, "We don't leave our garbage around. We don't do that here. Yoou're a bad example to your kids (who were open-mouthed)." And tossed it in the back. He was ripshit, and I laughed as I walked away.
It annoys me when people throw trash out of their car windows, and especially cigarette butts. We really need rain, it’s very dry, and we don’t need fires.
Charlotte, you are a treasure. I used to follow you on Twitter, but closed my account when the fascist bought it. So glad I found you here and decided to subscribe. Thank you for this reminder to try to give others grace. It’s not easy, but nothing that matters ever is.
I live in DE, (not too far from the President 😉)I am retired and I walk in a state park 2x a day with my dog. A couple years ago, I started picking up trash while the dog was running through the woods doing dog things. It was pandemic related. There were a lot more people in the woods, people who weren't regular hikers or bikers and maybe less inclined to keep the place clean, as it were. There have been moments trhoughout the years when the futility of it makes me laugh, but what the heck, I am out there anyway, might as well make myself useful! (as my mom used to say)
Also enlisted a buddy this February after he retired and we use Mondays to get the big stuff. We have dragged 2 shopping carts, 3 tires and an ancient cooler out of the river.......so there's that!
Wow, thanks for this incredibly insightful piece. We live on the corner of a busy street and I am constantly picking up trash. I mumble and mutter a lot as I am doing it. You’ve given me a lot to think about and your comparison is spot on!
A great reminder, Charlotte, that we can choose how we respond to anything that happens to and around us.
Thank you so much for this beautiful refection on how to live in a broken world. I can hardly function these days because of the mess all around me, near and far. I needed your wisdom and kindness to make it through today, tomorrow, and on, and on. Bless you, dear Charlotte.
Good essay, good thoughts as usual. I would like to remind everyone that explanations are not the same as excuses. You can understand why some people do selfish things, but it isn't an excuse. I also try to remember that anger is a non-productive emotion and can easily lead to other non-productive behaviors; it's destructive and not creative. I live in an apartment complex and I occasionally find trash in the small patch of grass between the sidewalk and my 1st floor windows, or near the mailboxes or even on the ground by the trash bins. Some of it is accidental, some of it is deliberate. I just pick it up and dispose of it because it bothers me. The only person I can control is myself. I do curse people when I drive, and I've been known to flip them off, but no one is perfect.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: You're a better person than I am. I'd still be mad a Trash Cyclist. Not annoyed; mad.
I'm sensing a change in your writing--from the lonliness article to this one about choosing one another--a theme? And I like it. Thank you
I was waiting for a bus in downtown Seattle once, and a guy threw his garbage leftovers from a Big Mac out the window onto the street. As the light was red and his back window was open, I ran up to his car, picked up the tomato and lettuce, and heaved it into the back seat. Light turned green, I stepped back.
Not that long ago I was in the parking lot of our local hardware store (small town) and some guy with out of state plates tossed a whole back full of crap out of his window. I picked it up and said, "We don't leave our garbage around. We don't do that here. Yoou're a bad example to your kids (who were open-mouthed)." And tossed it in the back. He was ripshit, and I laughed as I walked away.
So I'm a bad person.
Great connections and lots to think about.
It annoys me when people throw trash out of their car windows, and especially cigarette butts. We really need rain, it’s very dry, and we don’t need fires.
Charlotte, you are a treasure. I used to follow you on Twitter, but closed my account when the fascist bought it. So glad I found you here and decided to subscribe. Thank you for this reminder to try to give others grace. It’s not easy, but nothing that matters ever is.
I live in DE, (not too far from the President 😉)I am retired and I walk in a state park 2x a day with my dog. A couple years ago, I started picking up trash while the dog was running through the woods doing dog things. It was pandemic related. There were a lot more people in the woods, people who weren't regular hikers or bikers and maybe less inclined to keep the place clean, as it were. There have been moments trhoughout the years when the futility of it makes me laugh, but what the heck, I am out there anyway, might as well make myself useful! (as my mom used to say)
Also enlisted a buddy this February after he retired and we use Mondays to get the big stuff. We have dragged 2 shopping carts, 3 tires and an ancient cooler out of the river.......so there's that!