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Hump Day Humor, A Puzzle

Another email of thought from the mature side of life...

Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. I 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 about one thing–our generation didn’t have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on “Our” day, here’s what I remembered we did have….

Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop 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 repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

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 240 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 (IF WE WERE LUCKY), or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV (IF WE HAD ONE) had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Texas. In the kitchen, we blended & 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 gas 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 water 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 bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums 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 pizza joint. 

Back then we didn't have the 3 water conservation toilets in every house that need 3 flushes to work.  If we were lucky, we had 1 toilet that flushed the first time.  If we were unlucky, we had an out house that required no flushing.  When we were cold we put on a sweater, and when we were warm we opened a window, because we didn't have a temperature controlled house.

So 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?

Songjiang Hotel Resort

In 2008, Bristol based Atkins Design Studio presented this as a 5 star resort in a deep water quarry just outside of Shanghai.  It boasts green and geothermal energy, has 400 beds and meeting rooms to accommodate 1000 people and a 10 meter aquarium for rooms, restaurants and underwater public areas.

The Green Thing

It's hard to admit, but I remember these things all too well.

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.  The woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”

That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day.  Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store.  The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over.  So they really were recycled.  

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an elevator in every store and office building.  They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.  

Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind.  They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes.  Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.  

Back then, they 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 pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana.  In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you.  When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn.  They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.  

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water.  They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.  

Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into 24-hour taxi services.  They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.  And they 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 pizza joint.

But that old lady is right.  

They didn’t have the green thing back in her day.