In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag 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. The former 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 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 handkerchief, 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 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?
I like it my dang self. Reminds me of granny and papa sharing a set of upper teeth during Sunday lunch. That was recycling.
In some ways, I wish we could go back to those days! But wow ..this made ME feel old, cuz I can remember a bit of this! *sits back in the rocking chair*
I remember the milk man coming to deliver milk and dairy products. We would put out the empties and he would come and fill the "cooler box" we had by the front door. That was less than 50 years ago. hmm, you may think I'm old.
I remember home delivery of milk also. Milk always seamed to taste better in glass. You can still get milk in glass at Whole Foods. I remember those boxes. Matter of fact after I bought my home out here I bought one off of ebay to put it out on my front stoop. Still haven't taken it out of the box it came in except to look at it from time to time to remind me of when I was younger. Also I remember the Charles Chips guy coming by every few weeks to see if we needed any more potato chips or cookies and picking up the tins to be reused. I remember Tropicana OJ came in glass also. It always seamed to taste better then the cartons they put them in now adays.
I buy milk from Smith's and paid a $1.50 bottle fee at first but I just swap out my bottle each time I go. Also, a friend of mine is an amazing art teacher so I have a container for her in my kitchen. She is so creative with recyclables! I save her mainly any small containers (she really needs the baby food ones but I can't help her there so I save yogurt ones), any containers w/ lids, egg cartons, and the Styrofoam/hard plastic container-thingies that meat and produce come in. I scrub each of these things and throw them in the "art" container. When it gets full, I bring them to her and start again! SHe is SO appreciative!
Just as an FYI, Kroger sells Homestead Creamery milk in glass bottles. That is some GOOD stuff. DH and DS love their chocolate milk, it's almost as thick as a milkshake.
I remember the charles chips guy too. I was raised in Pennsylvania and when we went to my grandmother's home she always had the charles chips bins.
I have a confession to make. This was a wake up call to me. Convenience is the number one attraction to products (I speak only for myself here), even over cost sometimes. I buy Capri-suns and juice boxes for my kids to take to school/camp. I'd spend less money and I know I'd waste less if I poured juice or water into a reusable container. If you notice at the grocery store how "quick, fast and convenient" so many things are now. The problem is most of that stuff is low quality, processed, has too much packaging, the cost is high, it's geared toward an individual (Do we really need to buy an individual serving of cereal?:lol I think I need to change some habits when it comes to this whole convenience thing.
