The Green Thingy

[Marcel R. Cyr]

You got to love this one. Because it's the Truth

>
> The Green Thing
> Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren'tgood for the environment.
> The woman 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 notcare enough to save our environment for future generations."
> She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
> Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilizedand > refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. 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 220 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, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room.
> And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), > not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended > and 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 gasoline 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 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 streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to > school or walked instead of turning their moms 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.
> But 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?
> Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in> conservation from a smartass young person.
>
> Remember: Don't make old People mad.
> We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.

[KEVIN WOOD]

YEP! We are energy hogs no matter how efficient are house is. LOL

[Pete Campbell]

Right on, Marcel!!

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by mcyr

You got to love this one. Because it's the Truth

>
> The Green Thing
> Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren'tgood for the environment.
> The woman 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 notcare enough to save our environment for future generations."
> She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
> Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilizedand > refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. 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 220 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, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room.
> And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), > not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended > and 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 gasoline 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 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 streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to > school or walked instead of turning their moms 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.
> But 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?
> Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in> conservation from a smartass young person.
>
> Remember: Don't make old People mad.
> We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.

Makes a cute story ... but it lacks a few facts.

I'm from that era ... and seem to remember dark brown air in Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh ... a Lake Erie that fish couldn't live in and smelled to high heaven ... with factories dumping their chemicals and sewage into freshwater streams, lakes and storm drains ... when dumping was not limited to landfills but along the highway systems, vacant lots and anywhere else it was convenient ... and where little old ladies (like the one in the story) in wheelchairs had to stay home and send others to the store since there was no access to her in public buildings and public transportation.

It's very easy to glamorize the good old days ... when life expectancies were much shorter, your doctor would blow cigarette smoke in your face while checking your tonsils and the dashboard of your car (that had no seat belts) was made of solid steel.

[Gary Farnsworth]

Yep. And I survived it all.

I never wore a seat belt, or a bike helment. I ate bologna every day. I played outside by myself all day. I never had a cell phone, or a phone of any type. My TV, when I had one, had 3 channels. I mowed three lawns to by my first transistor radio. I rode my bike everywhere I wanted when I was 10. My home had no air conditioning. Playing with water out of a garden hose was a treat; and drinking it, too. I played outside with my friends until 11:00 P.M. in the summer. My doctor and dentist both smoked.

And I am still here; and my Mom and Dad at age 90 and 92 are still around.

Most of today's kids will never experience these.

[David A. Andersen]

And they are allergic to peanuts and must have their own seating section at the ballpark!

You're right James, but that trash on the side of the road didn't melt the ice in Alaska!

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

The Green Thingy

Is that what you call it when you get old???

[David A. Andersen]

Fight it if you can!

You will be a grumpy SOB, just like me, with time.