Lesson From A Potato Chip Bag
My home is next door to the church, and both sit directly aside an extremely busy, five-lane thoroughfare. The traffic is abundant and so is the litter. This morning my dog and I got out with two huge trash bags to collect the debris. I'll have to admit humbly that I did most of the work. Basically being a lazy bum, he simply watch ed.
We are situated in a blue-collar, industrial area, amidst warehouses and factories and used-car lots. It is not a very pretty place. But we have determined as a church that we want our property to look clean and neat, a statement to the community that we care. I oversee the care for the lawns. Currently our maintenance is done by a team of young men who are highly friendly and energetic but a bit careless with the details. For instance, they failed to pick up the trash from the roadside, and instead just mowed over it. And I have told them several times that it is time to put down pinestraw. I'm not sure the message zoomed past the ipods and cell phone conversations. So, if any of you fellow t-bloggers would like to bid for our lawn maintenance contract, then I am very interested.
The encouragement not to litter was impressed upon me as a Cub Scout. Our den was returning to camp on the back of an old truck. Casually I tossed a potato chip bag onto the side of the road. The Scout Master asked the driver to stop, told me to get out of the truck and pick up my litter, and then to walk back to camp. Then the truck and the rest of the crew took off and left me. Of course that was child abuse, and today a mother would beat that man senseless and a dad would sue the scouts for a few million dollars. But back in the "olden days", as I meandered back to camp on the dirt road, I had a potato chip bag in my hand and an indelible lesson etched upon my heart. And I've been conscientious about not littering ever since.
To make a habit of intentionally littering is to make a character statement. It is a way of saying "I don't care".
-I don't care that someone else must follow along after me to pick up my trash.
-I don't care that I have brought offense to the property of another person.
-I don't care that I have added financial cost to the upkeep of the roads and highways, an increase bankrolled by the taxpayers.
-I would rather throw this bottle/can/wrapper/cigare tte out the window than go to the trouble of holding onto it and later tossing it into my trash can because my convenience is worth more than any inconvenience I will impose upon you.
Today I collected two huge garbage bags bursting with trash from a 300' highway front. It is an irritating experience. It is irritating that drivers will not slow down, or pull over to the next lane to avoid my endangerment. It is irritating that some would even throw trash from their cars as they see me at work. It is somewhat irritating that so may cigarette butts speckle the sides of the roads. Why do we Americans think we have the right to impose upon and inconvenience others with our bad habits?
But, you know what...all was not bad. In the ditch I found a dollar bill! It was real. It probably flew from a speeding car along with a McDonald's cup. So there's my tip. Thanks, America!
05.19.07 (12:34 pm) [
edit]
posted by:
bawdy (
reply)
post date:
05.19.07 (12:25 pm)
Litter is a worldwide problem. Many European streets are filthy. If only people would be more considerate... It doesn't take much. Spend your dollar wisely!
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
05.19.07 (3:05 pm)
It is interesting what will make a solid impression on a youngster's mind ~ I liked your post.
I remember a nephew telling the story of when he was asked to walk home after being put off the school bus for fighting with another youngster ~ he said it made him think twice before fighting and he and the other boy became good friends as they walked home and worked out their differences and realized it was a stupid thing to do ~ he also said that today the bus driver would be in trouble for doing such a thing.
And, about potato chips ~ when I saw the title of "Lesson from a potato chip bag" I thought you were going to mention one of my favorite potato chip brands. I was raised in Detroit and there is a potato chip company not far from what was then my home. Uncle Ray's Potato Chips ~ there is a verse and/or bible lesson on each potato chip bag. To this day I look for those chips to see that they are still providing those words for anyone who chooses to purchase their chips. Nice!
Have a good day ~ even if a part of it was picking up trash ~ know you did a good thing!
((hugs))
posted by:
kurtmaddox (
reply)
post date:
05.20.07 (11:42 am)
Wonderful lesson, PD! We may be a bit apart on theology, but, we're certainly Brothers when it comes to a philosophy of life. This post would fit squarely into the "Every Matters" framework I've been working on and thinking about for several years now.
You are right on about what keeping your own little corner of planet earth in a neat condition which demonstrates that you take pride in yourself and in your environment. I'm working hard on just that same concept here in Centertown. And, like you say, leadership starts at our own home, our own church, our own business and then our own neighborhood, our own town and so on and so forth.
I'm reminded of the recounting of how New York cleaned up the subways that is re-told in the book "Freakonomics" (one of my favs) where one of the key initiatives was simply to clean up the subway and to continuously and with great effort and great expense, to remove all grafitti and trash from every substation and from every passenger car.
The other initiative was simply to put a stop to the turnstill jumpers.
With these two simple initiatives, the subway system was transformed in a way that no one could have predicted.
My grandmothers were as poor as poor gets. They were both cleanliness fanatics. I remember my Granny Grace always saying that to have a happy home, you have to have a clean home. I believe it!
posted by:
lenfanterrible (
reply)
post date:
05.20.07 (3:39 pm)
Hi, Pastor Dave. Did you see the last Eurovision Song Festival? There is a young man in Malta waiting for your answer...
PS. Great post.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
05.21.07 (9:32 am)
Reply to: bawdy
I am using my dollar even as I type, consuming a Diet Coke. I still attest that the habit of littering is a character statement. No excuses, no justification.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
05.21.07 (9:38 am)
Reply to: auntconi
I did a quick Yahoo Search, and Uncle Ray's is still in business. Never heard of it. The website offers opportunity to order their products. Obviously the proprietor is a Christian.
Picked up trash again this morning. Found a shoe. It fits. Is it yours?
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
05.21.07 (9:40 am)
Reply to: lenfanterrible
Eurovision... I think American Idol has it beat. The one video from Eurovision I ventured to watch was all I now care to watch. It was bad. At least we know to laugh at much of America Idol. I think these guys are considered to be talented. Hah. Maybe you should grab a guitar and make a video?
By the way, I read you blog. You do not allow comments. Too bad!
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
05.21.07 (9:46 am)
Reply to: kurtmaddox
Your grandmother probably quoted that great Bible verse, which I have heard many times, "Cleanliness is next to godliness". Of course it is not in the Bible. Should be.
How you care for your property is a statement to others. I tell my church such time and again. I do not want people to be detracted from the message of our church because of it's appearance. And I don't want them to get the impression that we do not care because of shoddy facilities or yards. It's important. Now I'm not perfect with this. I drive an old car, and I don't take care of it very well. The statement my car makes to others is, "The driver does not care about the appearance of his car." Should I repent and have a change of heart, I will let you know.
posted by:
lenfanterrible (
reply)
post date:
05.21.07 (12:21 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
*smile* The answer is CAUTION... Sicerely, I feel absolutely incapacitated to respond to your brilliant and ironic comments dear Pastor Dave, but I'm willing to sing a romantic song and make a video for the next Eurovision Festival. It's a pretty tempting idea... Hey, what about a duet? I'm absolutely sure we could worthily represent Malta next year. Can you imagine? ... And the winners are... The Maltese Hawks!!!
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
05.22.07 (7:38 am)
Reply to: PastorDave ~ so that's where that shoe is...
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
05.22.07 (7:38 am)
Reply to: PastorDave ~ so that's where that shoe is...
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
05.22.07 (7:40 am)
oops ~ sorry about the dbl reply
posted by:
bipolarexpress (
reply)
post date:
04.11.08 (1:00 pm)
How on earth did I ever miss this post??
If I had a penny for every cig butt I have found... I would be the richest person ever. My parents smoked and would make me go out once a week and pick up their butts. Let's just say mine go in the ash tray.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
04.11.08 (1:03 pm)
Reply to: bipolarexpress
I never throw any trash out of my car. However, I also almost never clean out my car. So it is piled high with trash. Sometimes my family will not ride with me because of it. So, that little lesson has stayed with me all through the years.
posted by:
bipolarexpress (
reply)
post date:
04.11.08 (1:08 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
you could make a killing off cans you find..
