The Problem with Green

 My fifteen-year-old is always "after" me about living "GREEN". I'm proud of him for encouraging me. While I support Mother Earth and want her to be safe and happy, I have a problem with being "GREEN."

Bash me if you must, but here's my "life" experience on this subject.

Back in the 1990s, I was absolutely Green...I used cloth diapers, and I boycotted the companies that were harming "Mother Earth" by cutting down the rainforest and doing all those "mean" things to Planet Earth. I used glass bottles. I cleaned with vinegar, eliminated bleach, carried refillable water bottles, and mended the same pair of jeans until there was nothing "original" about them. I followed the kiddos and hubby around, turning off the lights; we walked as often as possible. We used the reusable cloth bags when shopping. I volunteered to clean up highways. When my mother called and said we weren't using shampoo with polypropylene glycol, I spent HOURS in the grocery store looking at labels (you have no idea how HARD it was to FIND shampoo without that..but I did.) I was GREEN. Though I will admit when she said we were boycotting Tide Detergent, I put my foot down.

Here we are sixteen years later, and I'm hearing that it did nothing. Seriously?

So where is this thinking coming from now? Well, aside from the news...let's talk about a couple of weeks ago when we took the kiddos out to the Great Salt Lake. I hadn't been there for ages!! There were plastic pop rings, shoes (I mean seriously, you'd think you'd notice right away that you've lost your shoe.), and Styrofoam littering the "beach." Yuck!

Over the weekend, the kiddos and I went for a walk. Cigarette butts were littering the walk way, broken beer bottles with shards of glass scattered. Plastic bags against fences, let's all wish for Planet Earth to be more beautiful and then deposit the kid's dirty diapers where we changed him!

Animal Rights? I hear you...but, um, you forgot to pick up the poopie that a valuable family member deposited alongside the trail. The human part of that relationship has to have some responsibility!

I bet that picnic you had was a blast! And I know you worked hard at lugging the cooler and its contents and all the nummies for your feast back into this secluded area, but you had fun, and even though you were stinkin' tired from all the AWESOMENESS with your loved ones, you were supposed to haul it BACK to the car when you were done. I know. I hear you. I've said it too..."Someone get that!"...but SOMEONE in your group didn't and blasted! I didn't get to have the fun!

As for the prophylactics, yeah, thanks, I've been meaning to have that "Birds and Bees" conversation with my children. How nice of you to leave behind the messy reminder!

No one loves an ice-cold Coca-Cola more than me and Jinkies! I know aluminum is only 16 cents a pound right now, but that's no reason to toss your used can out the window!

So the kiddos and I "cleaned up." We hauled a garbage bag back from our walk. No souvenirs that read "I walked 2 miles"...just trash...someone else's trash.

Oh, but wait...here's the problem with GREEN...this morning we went for a walk...yeah, that's right, in that same spot we cleaned only three days ago...and guess what? It's polluted again with TRASH!