Who's Really Green?

If you were born in the 60s or earlier, you may remember life like this.  There was one young boy who was a family friend whom I will always picture pulling a wagon full of soft drink bottles he found along the streets in our neighborhood.  I think he grew up to be very industrious and had a Coke memorabilia collection. (some of you will know of whom I speak!)  Some of us still hold on to a good many of these ideals, not in a quest to be "green" for the love of nature, but to be good stewards of this earth that God has given us....and to teach our children how to work and to love work.  It's a good read!  Thanks for sharing DHM at The Common Room!

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, We didn't have the green thing back in my day.

That's right, they didn't have the green thing in her day. Back then,

They returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store.

The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and

Refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But

They didn't have the green thing back her 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's 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 pizza dish, 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 wadded

Up 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

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 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 that old lady is right. They didn't have the green thing back in her

Day.