Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A senior's view on environmentalism, or "the green thing"

I got this in an email today. Worth posting, I thought:

The Green Thing

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to her and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned 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 we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We 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; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we 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 (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we 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 walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we 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 we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from an uppity young person.

Steve.

good article.

wasn't long ago the electrical membership corporations brought minimal electricity to the countryside. i remember when i was a kid, there was one electric bulb and a frigedaire in the dining room.

lot's of electric "juice" flowing through the joint now.

Growing up, I remember my grandparents had a party line. Today, we have cell phones and iPhones.

yep. i can remember no phones until the local EMC allowed the phone company to run their line on the electric pole. no one would grant a ROW for a separate set of phone lines.

then, once established it was a party line for years. now, i hear Africa is all cell-phone coverage pretty much. hardly no landlines at all.

the best use of burnt motor oil was to spray it on the dirt roads to hold down the dust during dry spells.

Everyday Hunter,
Back in my day, me grand Irish Mom's shopping bag was a strong reuseable hemp cinch string one. We didn't have no stink'n Trolley Car, Bus, or Bicycle. We had Horses. Me Da had a car which he used ta go to work and church. We got on the train to go see relatives most of the time because cars were not that reliable then and our roads were all local roads to nowhere in particular instead of thru roads. Also, our version of the interstate highway was good old Route 1 that went up and down the east coast when it was finally finished. Only trouble was it didn't pass through here and was about a 60 mile drive over back roads to get on it. We bought food, tools, clothes, gas and parts fer Da's car, medicine, and guns plus ammo at the General store or ordered it from either Sears & Roebuck or Western Auto.

Another thing, we worked a five day work week back then instead of 24 X 7 X 365. We turned the damn lights off after we were done fer the day ta save money and show folks we had closed things up. Yep, we locked up by 6:00PM weekdays and 4:00PM Saturdays for the weekend to go home to the family. NOBODY WORKED ON SUNDAY BECAUSE IT WAS AGAINST THE BLUE LAWS AND EVERYBODY WAS EXPECTED TO BE IN CHURCH WITH THEIR WHOLE FAMILY. There weren't no Daylight (Bull$h!t) Savings Time neither. Just one time, which was the Correct Time. Folks planned ahead fer when things weren't going to be open and prepared for the unexpected eventuality. It was called RESPONSIBILITY and learned at a very young age.

Another thing. Kids & Adults with long guns were relaxing in a recreational kinda way instead of mass murdering & mayhem. Pistols were fer very serious encounters where folks really didn't like each other none. Knuckles settled minor disputes and knives/razors were only used by Hobos, Drunks, Convicts, Whores, and other LOW LIFES. Justice used to be very swift and sure. All murderers got hung (Capitol Punishment to ya youngins) cuz ropes is recycleable, efficient, and cheap (Very Green). Oh yeah! So who says we weren't environmentalists?

There is only about another million more ways we practiced conservation but I don't have the time or the room here to elaborate on it further. However, generally speaking, we used things up, wore things out, and improvised when it weren't available. Folks today toss things in the trash or dump because they don't like the color, it makes noise, or there is a new "IMPROVED ONE" that they think they just gotta have right away even though they ain't got the money ta pay fer it. So, I guess we old folks is ta blame fer not beating the tar out of the next generation ta keep 'em from learning our old, stupid, wasteful ways. Therefore, I repent and I am prepared ta mend my terrible ways. Now all ya gotta do is just stay here a little while longer ta assume the position after I finish whittling down this green piece of willow branch so I kin correct things fer ya......Hey!....Where tha hell are ya all going?....I'm almost done.

Flower Child

top
Hold still now dang it!!!