Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the
Older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because
Plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman 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 -- 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.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we
Reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household
Garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for
Our school books. This was to ensure that public property, (the
Books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our
Scribbling's'. Then we were able to personalize our books. But
Too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.
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 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 burger 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 smart ass young people
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take
Much to &*^^ us off.
