Some Mental Ruminations...
Another soggy day in Ft. Wayne, which means another day of a few LESS boom cars (...oh,joy).
And today is also trash pickup day.
Every other Thursday is our "recycling" day (that is next Thursday).
Pretty boring stuff, yes?
Well, there is an odd bit concerning the future of our recycling.
You see, a long time ago, in a neighborhood not so far away (the same one I'm living in NOW), the city implemented a recycling initiative, and issued a nice plastic BLUE bin (singular) to stow recyclables in (glass, cans, paper...you get the idea; the usual stuff).
And all was well with the world...for a time.
Then, someone got the notion that in order to facilitate pickup, we would be issued TWO bins; one brown (for paper), one yellow (for glass and plastics). And once again, all was right with the world.
I mean, here *I* was, doing MY part to keep down the cost of plastic, glass and metal by recycling that which COULD be recycled.
But now, for some strange reason, known only to OUR local "zombies" in government, they want to "provide" us with ONE (larger?) bin for recycling...AGAIN.
No one mentioned that this was the way it USED TO BE...(heaven forbid).
So, let us recap...
In the space of 12 years, we've come FULL CIRCLE...back to the "beginning", as it were...and all this has cost the city HOW MUCH ?
I'm one of those people that believes that if you've got something IN PLACE...and IT WORKS, then, by all means LEAVE IT THE HELL ALONE. Don't muck with it.
Of course, I'm ALSO one of those people that DOES recycle (not everything, but we've got enough every two weeks).
Currently, in our city, about EIGHT PERCENT recycle (out of 250,000+ people)...!
That means that we've got a helluva lot of people that don't give a rat's ass about saving a few bucks.
Personally, I like the idea of old cans being made into NEW ones, or that the newspaper I get used to be an OLD newspaper that has been recycled. And, I'm by NO means one of those tree-hugging hippie followers of our favorite scam artist and "Environmangelist" Al Gore.
I'm just someone who RESPECTS the planet we're spending a lot of time on...that's all.
Maybe I've got some native American blood in me somewhere.
I figure as long as you put something BACK into something, you'll always be able to get something out of it...like Mother Earth.
Now, I can attest that I AM, indeed in the "minority" down here (in more ways than one, especially intellectually), that's how this neighborhood "I.Q." remains in "triple digits"...me and the missus...LOL.
I AM about the ONLY person who does recycle.
Everyone else dumps everything into the trash bin (as you would note from hearing all the booze bottles clinking on trash day when the bins are emptied). Some people generate MORE trash than they take in...dunno HOW they manage that, but given the demeanor of these throwbacks, I have my suspicions. They take everything, give back nothing, and leave nothing but refuse in their wake as they meander about their lives. Nice existence, huh?
Funny thing...if you remove the human vermin that infest this area like a damn plague, this neighborhood isn't all that bad. In fact, it's rather serene with it's tree-lined streets.
The time right before dawn is the best...the air smells fresh, birds are chirping all over the place, and the noise is practically non-existent.
The houses are quaint, and you'd be hard-pressed to find two EXACT duplicates...the architecture is that varied, without being garish. it's not one of those "cookie-cutter" developments we see dotting the landscape these days.
It gives one the ability to be more of an individual, instead of "another brick in the wall" (as Pink Floyd would say).
The houses have more "personality", but I'd bet they'd have a lot to gripe about with the stories they could relate, if they could talk.
And judging by the condition many of these places have been allowed to deteriorate to, they're already speaking volumes.
The houses did NOT get that way by themselves...they definitely had help.
(and we know where that "help" came from, right?)
At this point, you MAY be wondering about the TITLE for today's post...the "RUMINATION" thing.
Well, suffice it to say, I'm NOT chewing my cud...LOL!
But I DO spend time in contemplation and reflection....doesn't everyone?
And yes, many times, it DOES become a bit persistent.
But didn't someone once say that PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF?
Besides, if YOU do not show concern, then who will?
If you do nothing, that is exactly what will get done.
To me, it's just part of being vigilant...and aware.
It's a lot like driving a car.
In everyone's life, there is a time to put it in "neutral" and coast for a spell.
Other times, you have to floor it, JUST to keep up with traffic.
But through it all, you MUST be paying attention...to how YOUR vehicle is operating, how other people are driving, the road signs and traffic lights we see along the way, where our exit is, and so on.
And if recycling is the right thing to do...I do it.
Wanting to do the right thing IS easy...following through and DOING it gets a bit tougher.
It doesn't have to be about "trash", though.
EVERYTHING we DO in life...is a CHOICE.
Decisions are there from the time we awake until we hit the sack once again.
Hopefully, we'll make a LOT more GOOD decisions today, than bad ones.
And that's where YOUR ruminations begin.
It's just all part of the human condition.
We should never settle for doing only the EASY things, for fear of disappointment.
Many times, we NEED to attempt the DIFFICULT, in order to move forward in life.
And, as is often the case, we discover that which was difficult was the RIGHT thing to do.
Maybe it starts with recycling a stinking bottle, but who's to say where THAT action will lead us?
If we challenge ourselves consistently, and with purpose, we find that doing what's RIGHT becomes second nature.
It BECOMES easy, so that, in itself, is a win-win, right?
We never know...until we DO it.
Enjoy your ruminations, be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.