I cannot believe the conversation I just had with my almost 16 year-old. I was folding clothes. She had just gotten back from Fruit Loop and Sugar's house (her bio dad and step-moo). I said "Hold up a minute. Come grab your clothes and take them with you, please." And that's when she responded "Oh yeah, I bought a new shirt and a new pair of pants this weekend. I sooooo needed new clothes." WTF? This is the child who has used her own money to buy a new shirt/pants/skirt/sweater/etc. the last 4-5 weeks in a row. This is the child who--just off the top of my head--has at least 10 pair of pants and over 20 shirts. And this child sooooo needed new clothes? Am I taking crazy pills? Do I live in some weird alternate form of reality? Well, I responded to her with "Uh, no--you did not need new clothes. You've bought lots of clothes lately, but it's your money--so that's fine. But you certainly didn't need them."
It sends me over the edge...it really does...my child is one of a subset of the population that EASILY/QUICKLY becomes bored with everything. She is constantly asking me to down new music because she is so bored with what she has. She gets tired of her clothes, shoes, bags and hairstyle. As a matter of fact, she has had 6 different hairstyles in the last 9 months. I don't know if I've had 6 different hairstyles in my whole life... I understand wanting to "spice up" your life. I have no problem with people wanting to add variety to their wardrobe and heaven only knows I have no issues with someone buying a new handbag. But isn't there something to be said about having some tried and true "go to" items? Isn't there something comforting about the old standby stuff or the incredible music you've loved all your life?
Part of what is wrong with our world is our "disposable culture"...I'm tired of my perfectly functional 22 inch TV...I want a 42 inch flat screen...I've had my cell phone for an entire year...I need a new one...I've had my hairstyle for 2 months...It's so old...I need a new one. We have disposable everything. Heck, I've read about lots of rock stars that have riders in their contracts asking for brand new socks at each tour stop...so that they don't have to worry about washing their socks. They just throw away what they have on and put the new ones on. And the whole celebrity red carpet thing--you can only wear a dress 1 time and NEVER again. Who in the hell lives like that?
At some point all of the consumer insanity needs to stop. I have no idea what will stop it, but I know exactly what will--and is--happening if it doesn't stop. And frankly...it's scary.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Keeping my chin up...
Do you ever feel like the Universe is working against you? At times, I do feel that way. This past week was one of those times.
First, my family has purchased some new furniture recently as all the furniture we've ever owned has been hand-me-downs--literally every piece--and much of it has been falling apart for some time. Since I turn 36 in April, I don't feel bad about the purchase. 36 years of no new furniture whatsoever is pretty good. My husband took great pains to save ALL the packaging and haul it 20 minutes away to the recycling center. I give him loads of credit for this. A year or so ago, he most likely wouldn't have done this. As he was separating the cardboard from the plastic and the styrofoam, he noticed that the plastic recycling container was missing. At the same time one of the recycling center workers was driving by in a mini-forklift and yelled "Just throw it all in the same container--we just burn that crap anyways!" This was very disheartening for my husband. He figured "Why waste my time trying to dispose of stuff responsibly if they are just going to lump it together and burn it?" Now, I know that styrofoam can't truly be recycled, but does it need to be burned? It all sounds scary to me...
Second, a few times now, the recycling truck has skipped our house and doesn't pick up our recycling for the week despite the fact that we set it out the night before so that we don't miss them. When my husband called to let the company know this happened, they said they would send someone out to pick it up--and then they CHARGED us $15! Bastards!!! They charged us for not doing their job properly and having to correct their sloppy work. Absolutely brilliant... Well, last week they forgot again, but my husband didn't want to be charged, so instead of calling he tossed everything in the trash can--because they never forget to pick up our stuff. This made me really sad (that the company would put a customer in this type of situation). He has gone out of his way to recycle--which doesn't necessarily come naturally to him--and our recycling bin was full...which leaves a person in a rather precarious situation. I told him he should call the company, let them know the error (again) and insist we NOT be charged for the pick up. He chose to toss it in the trash can--and I understand his frustration...I really do. And you know what? I should have picked it all out of the trash and called the recycling company myself--but I didn't.
I should also note--my husband is an awesome individual. He didn't just think "screw it--I don't care about the environment". He is the one who has planted the garden and composted--without me ever saying a word...completely his ideas. He loves supporting local businesses and has often been the one to haul me out of bed to go to the Farmer's Market with him.
Which leads me to my current musing: All of us have times in our lives where we will fight the good fight. We'll see it all the way through...but what happens when you feel out of your element to begin with? What happens when you're exhausted (mentally or physically) and you run up against a brick wall? We all have times where we should speak up, but we can't..mentally, physically, emotionally...we just can't...we want to, but we don't. Sometimes it's hard to "keep your chin up" when the people who are supposed to care (i.e. the recycling company) don't seem to care.
The best I can muster up right now is to mentally prepare for them to forget my recycleables next week--and to call them on it.
First, my family has purchased some new furniture recently as all the furniture we've ever owned has been hand-me-downs--literally every piece--and much of it has been falling apart for some time. Since I turn 36 in April, I don't feel bad about the purchase. 36 years of no new furniture whatsoever is pretty good. My husband took great pains to save ALL the packaging and haul it 20 minutes away to the recycling center. I give him loads of credit for this. A year or so ago, he most likely wouldn't have done this. As he was separating the cardboard from the plastic and the styrofoam, he noticed that the plastic recycling container was missing. At the same time one of the recycling center workers was driving by in a mini-forklift and yelled "Just throw it all in the same container--we just burn that crap anyways!" This was very disheartening for my husband. He figured "Why waste my time trying to dispose of stuff responsibly if they are just going to lump it together and burn it?" Now, I know that styrofoam can't truly be recycled, but does it need to be burned? It all sounds scary to me...
Second, a few times now, the recycling truck has skipped our house and doesn't pick up our recycling for the week despite the fact that we set it out the night before so that we don't miss them. When my husband called to let the company know this happened, they said they would send someone out to pick it up--and then they CHARGED us $15! Bastards!!! They charged us for not doing their job properly and having to correct their sloppy work. Absolutely brilliant... Well, last week they forgot again, but my husband didn't want to be charged, so instead of calling he tossed everything in the trash can--because they never forget to pick up our stuff. This made me really sad (that the company would put a customer in this type of situation). He has gone out of his way to recycle--which doesn't necessarily come naturally to him--and our recycling bin was full...which leaves a person in a rather precarious situation. I told him he should call the company, let them know the error (again) and insist we NOT be charged for the pick up. He chose to toss it in the trash can--and I understand his frustration...I really do. And you know what? I should have picked it all out of the trash and called the recycling company myself--but I didn't.
I should also note--my husband is an awesome individual. He didn't just think "screw it--I don't care about the environment". He is the one who has planted the garden and composted--without me ever saying a word...completely his ideas. He loves supporting local businesses and has often been the one to haul me out of bed to go to the Farmer's Market with him.
Which leads me to my current musing: All of us have times in our lives where we will fight the good fight. We'll see it all the way through...but what happens when you feel out of your element to begin with? What happens when you're exhausted (mentally or physically) and you run up against a brick wall? We all have times where we should speak up, but we can't..mentally, physically, emotionally...we just can't...we want to, but we don't. Sometimes it's hard to "keep your chin up" when the people who are supposed to care (i.e. the recycling company) don't seem to care.
The best I can muster up right now is to mentally prepare for them to forget my recycleables next week--and to call them on it.
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