Maybe progress isn't such a good thing!! | Miki's Hope

Maybe progress isn't such a good thing!!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Another one of my friends sent me this via email (along with the cutest one about panda bears but couldn't get that one to copy!!) You know I'm sitting here thinking--after you read this--you should be too--WHY and WHEN did we STOP!!!

The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told an 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 our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned 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 we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We 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; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we 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 (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana .

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we 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 walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we 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 we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart-alecky young person.


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8 comments :

UmmaThreads~ Crafty Squirrel said...

You aren't alone in this. I'm 28 and I think his comment was disrespectful and incorrect. I immediately started ranting the same things you did to myself before I read on to what you had to say. Children are being brought up to be too self righteous. Okay, I won't rant on anymore.

pauline15 said...

I love this post! And, I'm sending it to my Mom right now... sometimes kids say some really silly things, and I've decided you just laugh or get angry.... easier to laugh on this one!

Grace said...

We really have much thinking to do.

Back then, that green thing was not known and yet people are doing what our green thing today is telling us to do.

This is really a good read. Thank you.

Sharkbytes said...

Haha- so right on!

Erika said...

This is so true! Like the first commenter, I'm 28 and the whole "green" movement these days bugs me. Use common sense, people, and stop blaming others! It's the current generation that insists on having bottled water and the convenience of individual sized pre-packaged foods for everything. Are we too good for 'regular' water and good ol' homecooking these days?

Thanks for posting this. I am going to tweet, facebook, and forward this on!
Have a fantastic day!

Anonymous said...

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http://www.shaunanosler.blogspot.com/

Geri O'Hara said...

Brilliant post

Gems said...

This post is just perfect...it gives us a kick in the you know where and reminds us how much worse we are today! May I link this to my blog? I will give you full credit and not copy any of it...I just think it is worth spreading.
I won't even post about it without your permission.
Gems x

http://www.gemsandrhinestones.blogspot.com

 
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