We Suck!

We have become a society of apathetic morons.

Let’s look at the environment… The experts have been telling us for decades that we’re fucking it up. We’re treating our world like it’s our own personal toilet. We’re constantly taking a mega-dump with all of the refuse of our lives.

Driving down the road and finishing up that burger and Coke… out the window with the trash. After all, we don’t want to mess up our cars, do we? Finished with that cigarette? Throw it out there, too. It isn’t going to start a fire. That’s crazy. And who cares if it’ll take a decade for that filter to break down? It’s just one little cigarette butt.

Tired of that old recliner? TV isn’t working quite right? Throw them into the local landfill. Why should we even consider fixing something when it’s so easy (and often cheaper) to replace it with something new. After all, we deserve the newest and best. Recycle? Reduce? Reuse? Why???

How about disaster victims? We look abroad to see horrendous things happen and we are SO there. People! What about the hurricanes, the fires, and the floods we have right here in our own backyards? Sure, at the beginning we’re all about “Oh, how awful” or “Send help fast”. But give it a couple of weeks and we start screaming at the Powers That Be about “wasting money” to help out the areas hit. Does the general public not have any idea how long it takes to rebuild?

We have our own poor and starving. Why are we so fixated on those in other countries? What's up with that?

We have a huge population of people with various conditions that require special considerations on a day to day basis.

The Deaf have their issues with the hearing. Hey, you can talk about a Deaf person right in front of them… If they aren’t facing you, they haven’t a clue. Pretty fun, huh? Yank their chain a bit? Why not?

Do you know how EASY it would be to teach our kids fingerspelling and American Sign Language along with their ABCs and grammar? Never mind that it’s been proven to reinforce learning in kids. But we teach our kids Spanish? What’s wrong with this picture?

Handicapped parking. Oooo, there’s a big one! Let’s borrow Grandma’s car since it’s cold and raining so we don’t have to walk so far. So what if someone has to unload a wheelchair or if they use a cane or walker. They might not even go to the store today.

There are countless individuals with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and more. We have a growing population of seniors. All of these people require various considerations or, at the very least, knowledge and understanding. Why should we take a bit of time to learn anything that might help make these people’s lives any easier? It isn’t us, right?

And God forbid that anyone should have an emergency requiring immediate attention by a government official, physician, or corporation. Have we cried “wolf” too often? The Powers That Be certainly seem inured to the possible need for an expedited solution.

We talk about how advances in civilization have made the world a smaller place. I say that the world is vanishing for many. We’ve taken advantage of the luxuries that computers have provided to the point that some of us don’t even have to leave home unless we choose.

We can shop online. We can work online. Hell, we can even have friends and lovers online without all of the messiness and time traditionally involved! The New Improved Friends in a Box! Need to take the edge off? We have the Lovely Libby Live on web cam! Yes, we can do it all on our own schedule for only $19.95. No muss, no fuss.

Back in the day, when someone moved into a neighborhood, there would be a welcome wagon. How many of us even know what our closest neighbors look like?

There was a time when our elders were respected and revered, taken into our homes if necessary. One of the largest growing businesses today is the nursing home or assisted living venue. Why should we be bothered if Grandpa can’t handle things on his own anymore? We’ve got things to do and people to see… Plus there’s that 9pm with the computer.

We are indeed a population of egocentric fools.

Is this a fad or a trend? I hope to hell it’s the former! If not, we are so screwed.

Yea… Apathy. It’s not just for breakfast anymore.

The Three R's for the Earth

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... How hard is that? Why are so many people resistent to the concept? And amidst all of this "awareness", just WHY are companies using so much more packaging for their products? I'm afraid I don't understand.

When I was young, I remember saving the plastic bags from bread and our used aluminum foil, washing them, then using them again. For us, it was a matter of economics. Not very sanitary, but a decent thought process. But today, we immediately throw everything away... And I do mean EVERYTHING.

Don't wear that shirt anymore? Into the garbage it goes. Tired of that worn-out chair? To hell with recovering it or donating it. Just push it to the curb as trash.

Go buy a part for your computer or a pack of cheese slices. Before you can use either, you must first unwrap... and unwrap... and unwrap. Ridiculous! And we never think twice about it! We've become a disposable society. How sad.

I have friends who find the idea of recycling exhausting. How can that be? We're provided with both a garbage container and a smaller one for those things that can be processed and remade. Put the nasties in one and the bottles, cans, and paper in the other. This is difficult, why? The trucks make runs and pick up the recyclables... We don't have to do a thing! Even members of my own family sometimes have a problem doing this although I have containers for recycling all over our home and property. I don't get it.

One thing I've seen a change in is that whenever I place an order online, it typically comes with these little inflated bags to protect the items from moving around during shipping. A huge improvement from the styrofoam "peanuts" that have been used in the past. Still, I'd rather see shipping houses make an arrangement with publishing houses to reuse outdated magazines and newspapers for that task. It's an change for the better nonetheless.

How about all of the crap that we buy on impulse that just sits until we throw it away? How about the excess in food we produce or buy that gets tossed? Hell, what's with that huge stack of napkins we just HAVE to get when we buy our Quarter Pounder??? Those are things we need to reduce as well.

We are so wasteful that it's pathetic. What's really sad is that we don't even notice. Why? The Industrial Revolution brought so much good to our lives, but it also brought apathy, indolence, and indulgence. Once things became more easily attained, we ceased to value them as much. What a shame.

In past generations, it was a source of pride that a parent could pass on to their child things that have "been in the family". Now, we all want the newest and fanciest... Case in point: computers and cell phones. There's a current article online about what we should repair and what we should simply replace. Guess what? Almost everything falls into the "replace" category. I remember calling repairmen for our tv or washer and taking appliances in to be fixed. Wonder what those guys are doing now?

Don't you just hate the newest trend in packaging store products... I don't even know what it's called... that plastic that requires superhero scissors and good medical insurance just to open? You know what I mean. What's with that? What happened to simply putting things in a cardboard box? Hell, forego even that and just shrinkwrap the sucker! Yea, I get that it helps discourage shoplifters... But, guys, get real. If people want to lift something, they'll find a way no matter what you do. We're talking about our PLANET here and we've only got the one!

Okay, here's an embarassing thing to admit... My own kids are clueless when it comes to mending a lot of things. I tried to teach them. Really I did! But our society deems that it's quite all right just to throw things away. Peer pressure still rules. Doesn't that well and truly suck?

After Katrina, the first and foremost donation that rolled in... then overcame in mountainous proportions... was clothes. It's a great thing to donate, but how in the HELL did we end up with so much in our closets? I understand changing sizes. I do that more and more as I age. I also understand trends in fashions, but being the hippy that I am that really doesn't affect me. And I'm probably guilty of having way more in my closet than I need. But the vast majority of our population can put me to shame in the wardrobe department. Let's not even discuss shoes! LOL Not mine! Just some ladies I love dearly.

So, maybe I've made you at least stop and think. That's a step in the right direction. We need to become more aware of what we use in our everyday lives.

Make or hire someone to make slipcovers. Refinish things in interesting new ways. Buy less and support those companies that embrace more efficient packaging. Donate what you no longer want. Most of all, use those damned recycling bins you've been provided with... PLEASE?

Mother Earth thanks you!