The “Green Thing” Back in My Days
Posted August 16, 2023 by: Admin
While checking out at the store, the young cashier made a thoughtful suggestion to the older woman, proposing that she bring her own shopping bags due to the adverse impact of plastic bags on the environment.
The woman expressed regret and shared, “Back in my earlier days, we didn’t have this green awareness.”
In response, the cashier remarked, “That’s a challenge we face today. Your generation perhaps didn’t prioritize the environment’s well-being for the generations to come.”
Indeed, she had a valid point — the “green thing” was absent during our time. During those days, we returned milk, soda, and beer bottles to the store. These bottles were sent back to be cleaned, sterilized, and refilled, a true recycling process.
We would refill ink into writing pens instead of discarding the pen itself. Razor blades were replaced rather than disposing of the entire razor due to a dull blade.
But the concept of environmental consciousness wasn’t a part of our era.
We walked up stairs, as escalators weren’t commonplace in every shop or office building. We opted to walk to the grocery store instead of hopping into gas-guzzling machines for a two-block distance.
Admittedly, we didn’t have the green mindset then.
Diapers were washed, not thrown away, because disposable diapers weren’t prevalent. Our clothes dried on lines, powered by wind and solar energy, not electricity-consuming machines. Hand-me-downs were the norm for children, not always brand-new attire.
The young woman was accurate in her assessment — the green movement wasn’t present during our time.
A single TV or radio served the household, featuring a screen the size of a handkerchief, unlike today’s expansive screens. Kitchen tasks required manual effort, lacking the convenience of electric devices. Fragile items were cushioned with crumpled newspapers, not modern packing materials.
Lawn mowing involved human-powered push mowers, not gasoline-powered engines. Exercise was derived from physical labor, negating the need for electric treadmills.
She was right; the green movement wasn’t part of our lives.
Thirst led us to fountains or taps, not single-use plastic bottles imported from distant lands. We understood the seasonality of food and didn’t demand produce from across the globe.
Cooking involved real ingredients rather than pre-packaged meals. Washing vegetables and crafting salads was a manual task. Yet, the concept of eco-consciousness eluded us.
Streetcars and buses were modes of transport, and children biked or walked to school instead of relying on constant parental chauffeuring. Rooms housed a single electrical outlet, not an abundance of sockets. A simple meal decision didn’t require satellite signals; we could locate a nearby eatery independently.
It’s a tad disheartening that the current generation criticizes us for our past habits due to the absence of the “green thing.” Consider sharing this with another experienced individual who could benefit from a conservation lesson from a spirited young person.
We aren’t particularly thrilled about aging, so it doesn’t take much to irk us. Especially when it comes from an inked, multiply pierced smart aleck who can’t calculate change without assistance from a cash register.
