People are funny. Not funny ha-ha, but funny peculiar.
I know a guy who is into recycling. Really into it. Nothing – nothing – gets thrown away in his house, office, or presence without scrutiny, argument, and, if necessary, research. Is that recyclable, compostable, or landfill? What plastics can you recycle? In which cities? If your city doesn’t take them here’s a list of recycling centers. This one is on your way to work, but this other one stays open an hour later and also takes glass. You can’t take hazardous waste there but it’s collected by the city once a year. Or if you live in this other city you can call the sanitation department 48 hours before your normal garbage pickup day and they’ll take it. But they won’t take tires. Or you can go to a designated collection center, but you have to bring your water bill to verify your address. Electrical garbage can be taken to Home Depot to be recycled. Used motor oil can go to Jiffy Lube.
Do you have any idea how much effort it takes this guy to get through one day?
People are the same about organic gardening, or finding restaurants that use vegetarian refried beans. They go out of their way all the time for some quirky personal philosophy. They only eat raw food. They only use cloth diapers. They only listen to pre-1983 Eric Clapton songs. They do their research. They go out of their way. And they spend a little money. It’s a passion. It’s a passion for doing what you believe is the right thing to do – an important thing to do.
There’s been so much talk lately about our economy. What’s the right thing to do? What are the important things to do? Our elected officials believe the answer is to blame the other guy. It’s not. The answer is to get more Americans working. Our elected officials – even with the American Jobs Act – aren’t going to do it. I’m sorry, but they just aren’t. We have to do it ourselves. Check out the story at the other end of this internet link:
You want to put Americans to work? Buy American stuff. You don’t have to be a maniac like my recycling friend, and I’m not saying “buy only American made stuff”, but buy more American made sutff. Buy an American made cutting board for your kitchen. Or an organic pillow for your bed. Or wool throw blanket for your family room. Buy the stuff you would normally buy, but just buy it from America. Light bulbs. File folders. You may have to go out of your way. You may have to do a little research. And you may have to spend a little money. It might be worth it. Regardless of how you feel about Warren Buffet and his secretary’s taxes, or Obamacare, or we’re-regulated-to-death, just do it. Do it regardless of who’s to blame on Capitol Hill. Take it up as a bit of a passion.
Seriously, doesn’t it seem like a reasonable thing to do?
1 comment:
It does seem reasonable. Well said.
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