Marriage Test

Just ask Larry -- I'm an avid (He might even say "rabid"!) recycler.  I have become increasingly concerned about the condition of our planet and ourselves, as we carelessly buy and toss and poison.  So, when our local county recently offered a "clean sweep," where you could safely and properly discard everything from medications to household products to tires, I was all for it.  I searched our home for any items we should be discarding and collected them into a small box, little bigger than a shoebox.  Larry joined me on our trek to the "clean sweep," only to find that we had to sit in our car for an hour, crawling bumper to bumper to our destination out in the country.  I chose to roll down the car window and enjoy the summer morning's sights and sounds.  Larry, on the other hand, was not quite on board with me.  He kept looking questioningly at the very small box of items on the floor by my feet and chomping on his chewing gum, trying not to let steam come out of his ears. For although he has many gifts, patience for such delays is not among them, especially for what appeared to be such a small box of stuff.  Alas, we reached our destination.  I was grateful to hand over the box, confident that our spent compact fluorescent bulbs, old drain cleaner, insecticide and other items would be discarded correctly.  And Larry was grateful to simply have the experience over with!  A true test of a strong marriage, I dare say!  But, as I looked at the sign as we departed the "clean sweep" sight, even the tension in our car diminished compared to the value of the good we had done, no matter how small the box.  The sign urged readers to think carefully the next time we make a purchase and to ask ourselves: Do we really need it?  How can we reduce, recycle and re-use?  An important message to remember.  Our planet's depending on us.

One Person's Trash, Well, is Trash

Larry and I are avid recyclers, but one recent week, the pile to take to the curb was almost ridiculous.  Thanks to Larry's efforts to clean and organize his home office, we had a tall stack of collapsed cardboard boxes bundled with twine, a city recycling bin full to the brim and at least a dozen plastic recycling bags filled with papers and other items that at one time seemed to be necessities but were now easily discarded.  That same week, we gave old, but still usable, cans of paint and stain to Habitat for Humanity and we divested ourselves of three carloads of stuff that benefited the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.  We shredded.  We vacuumed.  We purged.  We organized.  Afterward, I truly felt lighter, almost buoyant.  I was pleased with our accomplishments, but I still have some concern:  I hope we can continue with our "green" way of living by curbing our desire for future accumulation.