Recently, Raeann, over at The Lady Farmer Parables, had the following on her blog and it spoke to my heart. Actually, it yelled and I think I even felt a tiny little head slap, ala Gibbs -grin-. Have you ever been lectured by a sweet young thing on being “green”? Anyway, major gripe rant coming on here…if you’re young and think you know it all, I’m happy for you because…heh heh heh…I know it’s not true and it won’t last. It didn’t with me, thank God, and it won’t with you either. Daddy says about someone who is acting bigger than their britches, “they are gonna set the world on fire, just as soon as they find their box of matches.” snicker, snicker…ain’t that just the truth?! So, when you run into a young chit at the grocery or market and they come down on you like a load of bricks for not having your own shopping bag, think about this e-mail. By the way, Raeann is a lot nicer than I; she’d never stoop so low as to say what I’ve just said so don’t think poorly of her; it’s all on me.
“In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags 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 the problem today ~ the previous 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 the 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 and 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 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 the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were, just because they didn’t have the green thing back then?
There’s more so please go to The Lady Farmer’s Parables. As for me, am I green? In some ways yes and other ways no, but I do try to be a good steward of what God has entrusted to me. And that, dear friends, is of far greater importance, imho.
Colleen says
My first thought as I read this was AMEN! and as I read it that AMEN just kept getting louder. Thank you for sharing this. I will share it yet again!
Penned Pebbles says
Very true! I will visit The Lady Farmer's Parables. Thank you!
from my front porch... says
You should have a few copies of this in your purse and kindly hand them out if a young thing ever approaches you again…about NOT being green!
Loved this, Sandra.
xo, misha
from my front porch... says
You should have a few copies of this in your purse and kindly hand them out if a young thing ever approaches you again…about NOT being green!
Loved this, Sandra.
xo, misha
Lisa @ Two Bears Farm says
Hi there! Thanks for coming by – it seems we are neighbors! At least by a few hundred miles or less, right?
I love this post. Makes me think more about all the things we do that are green – because it's just the simple, economical way to do things. Like we make our own tea and soda and often bread and so forth – never thought of those things as green but compared to buying bottles of tea or whatever it is. And we're not tv folks by choice – never thought of that as being green though. But I like it! We try to be green where we can 🙂 We can't always afford some of the options, but we do what works for our budget.
Whimsey Creations says
I so remember most of that and she is so right! Although I do try to remember to take my cloth bags into the stores at some they make you check them at the desk until you're ready to leave – I don't shop those stores anymore – makes me feel like they think I'm a thief! LOL Anyway, bags or not, we all do what we can and that's enough. Hugs to you girlfriend – I've been missing for awhile on this horrible work project but it's finally starting to wind down. Hugs!
Ragamuffin Gal says
Sandra,
This is such a great post and so true! I remember this so well growing up. We got 5 cents back per pop bottle and I use to go look in ditches on my walk home to find thrown out bottles. Back then I could buy a candy bar for that price!
Blessings,
Katie
goatldi says
Wonderful! I remember taking soda pop bottles back to the corner market for the deposit. Now they call it a recycling fee to encourage you to recycle.
Isn't it nice to know that some things never change – just get reinvented.
Jane and Lance Hattatt says
Hello Sandra and Dave:
We fear that so much of this is true!! Whatever happened to the days when so much was returnable? Milk bottles [only cartons now], jam jars, beer and wine bottles, and when shopping bags actually lasted!!
Oh well, we have to move with the times whether we like it or not! and mostly, it seems, move by car!
KathyB. says
Oh I had almost forgotten I used to do all those old-fashioned things, guess I wasn't green either. Perspective helps though since I was a mite upset about losing internet this week…like I even had an inkling of this even a decade ago. Sigh….
Vilisi@islandmusings says
I remember we used to have a push mower when I was growing up in Fiji in the 60's! We (meaning the whole country) didn't have tv until the late 70's. Videos came much much later. And it seems the crime rate shot up then and still going up – ok this is a sweeping statement but sometimes you do wonder about the definition of 'progress'!!
Andrea says
AMEN! I love this post! I have been thinking about you a lot, lately.
Hugs,
andrea
Sweet Virginia Breeze says
I love this – it is so true!
Star says
Very true! I think it is a sign of age because I know that for myself (aged 59) I was brought up in the 50's and I still do lots of things in the same way as my mother did then. That doesn't make me green(er) just old fashioned, I suppose. I try to do without what I don't need (e.g. dishwasher, large screen TV, car etc.) and appreciate what I do have (washing line outside, enough food to eat etc.)
We could all do a lot better though, couldn't we and we need to if we want to save this planet!
Becky says
Amen!
Sally says
Oh, I love this!! Yeah, hung the diapers on the line and watched them freeze in winter; bring them back in to start over again.
I do recyle when I remember!! 🙂
Blogger was down for 24 hours, Sandra; that's why you haven't had comments, or like me you had them and blogger lost them. LOL
Have a blessed evening. (hugs)
Marydon says
Well, I have NO clue why my email is there in that post … what's up with blogger today? Ugh.
TTFN ~Marydon
Marydon says
Oy! Good thing I didn't meet up with this person … AMEN, Sandra!
Now to hop over to read the rest …
Have a beautiful week ~
TTFN ~
Marydon
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