REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE

This blog (titled after the popular jingle) is to display once again my love of irony.

Let me tell you a true story.
For a school field trip... let me stop right there.

Yes, I am in college. How am I still going on field trips in college!?!... What? Yes. I do go to community college, why?.... oh... never mind.

I went on a school field trip to a water and sewage plant to learn more about the recycling process of water. It was torture. Don't get me wrong! I am a big fan of recycling. I always recycle everything all the time except when I don't feel like it or if I forget.

I even dress like I am a person who recycles. You know what I am talking about... you see "me" all the time. Plaid shirts, vests, and no matter what style of shoe I wear they always seem to be some shade of diarrhea brown. And I always have a bag. Not a purse! A bag- complete with an over-the-shoulder strap and completely unnecessary amount of spare change and chapstick.

Anyways, they begin our tour of the water recycling plant with a lecture so long it would put any high school graduation speech to shame. Our guide went on and on about the garbage collecting in the ocean and the danger we have inflicted on the sea life due to our ignorance and selfish actions. But I don't remember too much of what the guide actually said because I was really thirsty and I didn't think it would be a good time to dig through all the junk in my oversized bag (I always have it) and pull out my plastic water bottle.

We then tour the plant. It was actually moderately interesting. There was even a thrilling moment where I almost died by falling into the buoyancy-reduced water. My fellow classmates and I furiously scribbled down notes as we went to ensure we got our full ten point of credit for being there. Well, that was my reason. One older student actually seemed interested. One younger student was drawing some animated character. It looked dangerous. One male student wasn't even making the effort to look like he was mentally present. And one female student forgot her pen.

Our tour guide was brilliant. She would say "Pay attention! I am about to give you an answer for your notes!" before she said anything she thought we should know whether it was in our notes or not and she would open her eyes extremely wide when she was making a point. This was so intimidating that even absent-minded-boy made the effort to tilt his head to the side and nod like he was listening. Her concluding speech heaped a fresh dose of guilt on our heads for our neglect of our precious planet and we all turned to bolt out as quickly as our sneakers could carry us....

"Wait!"

Our (brilliant) tour guide called.

"I have a gift for you guys before you leave!"

I kid you not. She gave each and every one of us a PLASTIC BAG full of PAPER pamphlets that read... again, I kid you not....

You are the solution to pollution.

I almost dropped the whole "gift bag" down the nearest storm drain because the irony of a fisherman coming across poor Peppy the Porpoise choked to death on a plastic bag that states we are the solution to pollution was almost too great to resist. But fear not reader! I resisted the urge.

My personal longing to go to great lengths to achieve humorous irony aside...I leave you with a sincere thought. The truth is taking care of our planet is important and I believe the solution for our planet lies in individuals cutting back on personal wastefulness.

Live the change you want to see.