I was scared this post was going to turn into a sermon, so I didn't post it on Answereth All... but my thoughts are a bit cluttered and meandering (it's going to be two posts), so maybe you readers won't feel so.
My rant is on how wasteful Americans are. A good many people are wasteful and don't even realize it, myself included. I know I'm pretty much pointing fingers, but I keep rationalizing that I don't waste as badly as those around me do, especially with clothes, money, time, food, stationery, and almost every other resource tangible or intangible. It's not honourable in the least, neither the lack of stewardship nor my rationalization.
I'm tempted to say plenty makes waste, when comparing America with 3rd world-countries, but that's not true. When I think about the opposite of wasting, I think about the Native Americans who didn't leave a single bone, tendon, or tissue of the hunted bison to rot. They had millions of uses for one creature (mammoth though they were). Many other ethnic groups make similar efforts to preserve and reuse. They weren't and arent' all penniless. I know so, because whenever the Chinese immigrants first come to America they're always so careful with whatever they have. This seems to wear off in a few years. Evidently, it's not just the ethnicity of member of a society, but the culture around that member which affects their frugality and financial expenditures.
What makes it so hard for us American to fully implement what has been given to us? Why can't we finish the last grains of rice in our bowl? Why can't we use all the lines in our notebook paper? Why can't we turn off the faucet when we're not using it? Are we really so lazy we can't move a few inches more?
There are people out there with NO rice, let alone the veggies and meat. There are people who can NOT read or write, let alone have paper to write on. There are people with NO water to drink, let alone shower, brush teeth, wash dishes or veggies, etc.
Maybe I'm over-reacting?
I know there's a balance between conserving resources and time (because sometimes the two conflict), but really, I think America could make a much larger effort to not waste. It doesn't have to be a HUGE campaign or makeover, but at least make little efforts to make a difference, with lifestyle changes preferred. If you do a little math, every effort you make a day, is 365 times that much in a year. In a decade that's almost 4000 times as much.
... to be continued...
~CJ
My rant is on how wasteful Americans are. A good many people are wasteful and don't even realize it, myself included. I know I'm pretty much pointing fingers, but I keep rationalizing that I don't waste as badly as those around me do, especially with clothes, money, time, food, stationery, and almost every other resource tangible or intangible. It's not honourable in the least, neither the lack of stewardship nor my rationalization.
I'm tempted to say plenty makes waste, when comparing America with 3rd world-countries, but that's not true. When I think about the opposite of wasting, I think about the Native Americans who didn't leave a single bone, tendon, or tissue of the hunted bison to rot. They had millions of uses for one creature (mammoth though they were). Many other ethnic groups make similar efforts to preserve and reuse. They weren't and arent' all penniless. I know so, because whenever the Chinese immigrants first come to America they're always so careful with whatever they have. This seems to wear off in a few years. Evidently, it's not just the ethnicity of member of a society, but the culture around that member which affects their frugality and financial expenditures.
What makes it so hard for us American to fully implement what has been given to us? Why can't we finish the last grains of rice in our bowl? Why can't we use all the lines in our notebook paper? Why can't we turn off the faucet when we're not using it? Are we really so lazy we can't move a few inches more?
There are people out there with NO rice, let alone the veggies and meat. There are people who can NOT read or write, let alone have paper to write on. There are people with NO water to drink, let alone shower, brush teeth, wash dishes or veggies, etc.
Maybe I'm over-reacting?
I know there's a balance between conserving resources and time (because sometimes the two conflict), but really, I think America could make a much larger effort to not waste. It doesn't have to be a HUGE campaign or makeover, but at least make little efforts to make a difference, with lifestyle changes preferred. If you do a little math, every effort you make a day, is 365 times that much in a year. In a decade that's almost 4000 times as much.
... to be continued...
~CJ
I understand exactly where you're coming from; this has been a bit of pet peeve of mine for a few years. I especially can't understand why people can't/won't clean their plates at meals! Just take as much as you need and eat it all :-P
ReplyDeleteYES!!!! FINALLY someone else other than a family member who understands!
ReplyDeleteYou might not care to know this, but at Sunday lunches, I like to scoop leftover gravy to mix with my rice, and (being the perfectionist that I am), it takes a few minutes to scrape the aluminum pan clean. Personally, I think the sauce part is the most flavorful and goes perfectly with rice, but one time, a father was standing behind me, just watching me. I think he might have forgotten he was getting seconds, because there were plenty of serving spoons for the other dishes, when he suddenly and admiringly commented on how I was very thorough. *wide-eyed*
Anyhow, I admit, there are things I'm struggling to get down my throat without making a face, but at least we need to make an effort to appreciate and be good stewards.
Thanks for your comment, Mac!