My family and I like to explore… unfortunately, we often do so in an eco-damaging way (driving in our car instead of walking or cycling or scootering)…….. yet, as I cause my own damage to the environment, I am also judging others….. yes, many Christians would point out to me that I have no business pointing out the speck in someone else’s eye when there is a log in my own…. yet it seems I am doing just that with this post.
I find it very disturbing that there are many people in our society that seem to think it is okay to use this world as a giant trash pit. Now, on one level we can argue that we all do that to some extent if we are using more than we should, not recycling, etc. On some level, because we produce trash, we are still trashing our planet, even if we do so in a more socially acceptable way. Yet, I look at my behaviors and others and I still think there is a difference (maybe some of my readers will disagree with me or correct me)…..
I think there is a difference between producing too much waste and not being eco-friendly, but throwing it in proper garbage bins, and literally using our earth as a trash pit. When I walk downtown and there is trash everywhere, and corners with old food, and more corners that smell like urine because people are too lazy to walk further to find a restroom… when I find these things I get very angry…. I feel as though people do not have respect for themselves or the society they are a part of – they are not seeing themselves as part of a collective, and they are not seeing the earth as a place where us inhabitants collectively live – they are only caring about themselves in those moments…. it is really disheartening.
I love it when I see communities come together to clean beaches and downtown areas, to re-build parks and take back their collective spaces. It gives me hope that we really can come together and make a difference for our future. I believe that reducing our carbon footprint also involves community empowerment and renewal. Together we can reverse the damage we are inflicting.
Today, 252 days ’til 40, I am challenging myself to discover how I can give back to my community – rather than complain about the trash, I need to work to mobilize individuals to make a difference……. we all can.
~400daystil40
Fortuitous Forty!!! 
ammiblog
June 14, 2012 at 01:27
“Good Christians? Seems to me there are a lot of them judging the actions of others all over the news. You are observing the world we live and reflecting back. On the other end of the spectrum are the “greener than thou”. You have clear vision, no specks.
I could say more. . .but I want you to know that you are doing more than most, and you’re honest about it. You didn’t have to post this.
400daystil40
June 14, 2012 at 20:20
Thank you! I have a lot of learning still to do!
lengesinski
June 14, 2012 at 02:51
Me’ism Vs Folks Working Together as a Team is The Key, You Nailed It!
400daystil40
June 14, 2012 at 20:19
Thanks!
craftythriftydecoratingwifemom
June 14, 2012 at 04:51
Couldn’t agree with you more. We aren’t in a city and rarely go into one; hubs grew up in the city and now has such an aversion we avoid them. A shame in many ways, but anyway, I too, love to see communities come together to clean up an area and in our little suburban town it has happened from time to time. Our son in going on a mission trip through church to DC and one of the things they’ll do is a Habitat for Humanity project. Hubs and I are both disabled and men from our church come and do jobs we can’t. We all have to care for our planet.
400daystil40
June 14, 2012 at 20:19
I love Habitat for Humanity – they do wonderful things…. and how wonderful that your church community bonds together and assists each other.
viveka
June 14, 2012 at 11:42
Totally agree – some parts of our little town is like a trash-can – remembered 20 years ago when you could hardly see any litter anywhere in Sweden, so sad and the saddest part is that people just drop their litter 1 meter from a bin, if I see it – I tell them. I blame all fast food – food on your feet,s – for it. Have seen Oxford Street in London after closing hours and it’s a giant trash bin all from fast food. Terrible!!!! Hate cigarette buts too and chewing gum … I blame the parents, because that starts at home.
400daystil40
June 14, 2012 at 20:18
Yes, I have seen the same – people so close to trash bins and not using them…….
Spider42
June 14, 2012 at 15:13
To be honest?
I find it disheartening but unavoidable to see the truth that in this (just like in 99% of everything in life) that people are fearful of most everything and it’s so much easier to instinctively live in your own little bubble – the world will take care of itself, it’s not MY concern, someone else will clean that trash, fix that damage, reduce the pollution, help the helpless, fix the broken global system – take your pick.
The average person has neither inclination nor anything but passing empathy for these things.
This I think really put this idea into a simple concept and I’ve remembered it since I first heard it and not been able to dispute it enough to let it be forgotten:
I think that when people turn on their TVs and see this footage, they’ll say, “Oh my God, that’s horrible,” and then they’ll go back to eating their dinners.
…in case you don’t know where that’s from, I can let you know, but ask yourself what troubling topic this does not apply to with most everyone around you. We live in a world so driven to “out of sight, out of mind” that it scares me a little sometimes.
Sorry, didn’t mean to get negative/morose, sometimes I can’t help it.
400daystil40
June 14, 2012 at 20:17
Very true, indeed, which is pretty sad……