Try it the way we used to do it.

The story goes;

~ Checking out at the grocery store recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

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

She was right about one thing -- our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day.

So what did we have back then…?

After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have....

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 repeatedly. 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. <<<EEEEEWWWWWWEEEEE! Personal note. Yes, I washed out crapped in diapers before throwing them in the washer.

We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young 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 wadded up old newspapers 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?

Recycle this and post it somewhere else for another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smarty-pants young person ....

Green Fascism is Fascism with just a bit of Slime added.

You tell it!!!!

THIS is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I just copied and pasted to my FB...thanks for this :-)

What...You had a "TV AND a Radio"?


Great post!

Thanks, ya'll.
I stole it from somewhere else.

Now I am stealing stolen property I KNEW this place was a bad influence on me

I am happy to go green only when it is easier, cheaper and more convenient.

I've already seen it on FB so it must be true!

Yea...green... try Seattle with the whole recycle thing!
You will see it everywhere.. people in a fast food joint..starring at the number of cans lined up trying to figure out WHICH can does it go in?!
Although it has picture references..it can be overwhelming just tossing out your trash.

when and if I think about, sure

but its not a priority in my daily life,, to be honest

Hmmm did we even use plastic bags, my Mum took boxes and an esky, we only shopped once a month to save the drive into town..

It just goes to show that back in my day we did not have to worry as much on going green....Why cause we did use things over and over. Did not get the plastic bags we use paper bags and re-used them for many things along the way...We did not sit in front of the tv, computer or on our phones all the time. Instead we played outside and learned to talk to others face to face..We walked or road our bikes instead of driving everywhere... Clothing got handed down to the point it was finally ripped up for grease rags or dusting clothes. Which got re-used due to washing them...

Now just about everything we use is throw away. People would be amazed what is thrown away in the dump's. My last job I had the chance to ride out to the dump, and was flabbergasted at the amount of stuff and condition it was in and was being thrown away.

Over 140 cities in the US hit all time record high temps for January today.

My question is...were those high temps recycled from a previous year? Maybe one that we forgot about??

Actually...I'm a recycler . I love reusing anything and everything that I can. I love making something that is used and abused brand new. You may all think I'm crazy but I believe everything on this planet has some sort of energy; and if it's directed on a positive path, it smiles, I smile, the world smiles. I think it's a darn shame that very little is valued anymore. If everyone did just a little bit to preserve this planet and "help" it along, I think our species would excel as a whole. This "throw away" mentality needs a "do over" .