What quote am I vibing? "Winners embrace hard work. They love the discipline of it, the trade-off they're making to win. Losers, on the other hand, see it as punishment. And that's the difference." Lou Holtz
Pounds of Trash Removed from the Wild since Last Post: 62
Pounds of Trash Removed from the Wild in 2020: 344
All-Time Pounds of Trash Removed from the Wild: 868
This week, I had the wonderful opportunity to do my first cleanup with Mariya and her puppy helpers, Eske and Goose. It was fun to have them running around and enjoying themselves at Walton Rocks Dog Park - they even occasionally pointed out some trash with their good sniffers.
It was another hot week here in Florida, so getting out as early as possible remains the best strategy for successful cleanups.
This morning, I was cleaning up at Bathtub Reef Beach when a man shouted down from the wooden lookout - "Hey, are you on probation?" I just looked at him with a perplexed look - I am always happy to answer questions about why I pick up trash, how much trash there is, what kind of trash there is, why don't people respect nature more, etc. But this question annoyed me. He eventually told me he was just kidding and thanked me for picking up the bottle that had been "ruining (his) view of the sunrise all morning."
The truth is, I find great pleasure in picking up trash. It is a very zen, quiet time for me, typically. I like seeing a dirty beach, sidewalk, or park, become cleaner because of my hard work.
That this man implied that picking up trash was a punishment - that I wouldn't do it unless I was obligated to by law --- it upset me. It is a representation of a misconception that picking up trash is something for "other people" to do - that each and every one of us shouldn't do our part.
It is time that we start taking on the hard work of saving this Earth - not because we have to (but oh how we do), but because we WANT to see the fruits of our labor in a cleaner environment. Cleaner air. Cleaner sky. Fresher water.
Until then, I'll happily labor beside the prisoners and probationers that use their rehabilitation to make the Earth more beautiful. As well as all my lovely friends and the eco-warriors I have met over the last couple years. As a team, we can win for the Earth.
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