I was six years old when I became consciously aware of how much I detested garbage strewn all over the street. I have my former babysitter to thank for this understanding. She had inadvertently became my teacher.
It was on a hot summer day when she decided to treat my brother and I to McDonald's so that we could have a chocolate milk shake. It was a bit of Heaven as I slurped the cool liquid goodness down very quickly. From my childhood perspective, we still had a seemingly long way to walk, before we made it home. It didn't seem right to carry the trash all that way.
I asked the sitter, "Where should I put my cup?"
"On the ground," she replied.
I stopped in my tracks. As she guided my little brother along the sidewalk, I remained behind. After ten paces or so, she realized I was still standing there holding my cup in hand.
"I can't put this on the ground," I implored with as much courage my young voice could muster.
She marched back to me, pointing to a tree and demanded that I leave the cup behind. I was astonished. My chest felt the pangs of tightening muscles and nerves. My mind was racing. I was not happy. Alas, she was about 2 1/2 times my height and certainly could pounce on me at any time if she was so inclined. Ergo, I capitulated and rested the cup along with its lid and protruding straw under the tree.
I crossed my arms and moved inward after that. I didn't want anything to do with this teenager anymore. I don't remember telling my mother this story, but this was the last time she babysat us.
Nevertheless, it still haunted me that I had left this cup behind. I couldn't shake the image from my mind. So, the next day, I went back to get it. It was still there, pretty much in the same condition I had left it in. This time, I picked up and carried until I found a nearby trash.
Hoorah, I was not a litterbug after all!
Fast forward 47 years and reflected back on this moment as the beginning. I had made a conscious choice at an early age to respect our environment and yet I was still a part of the problem.
I may not do the littering myself, but for the last half decade, all I have done is complain about the trash. I haven't actually done anything about it. I have been guilty by association. Today, I decided to do something about that.
I walk every morning and from time to time I pick up the odd piece of trash, but overall, I usually just walk right past it. However, for whatever reason, I felt a calling to carry a small plastic bag with me this morning. I had decided that today, I would pick up any piece of trash I came across along my path. My neighborhood is fairly pristine, so it surprised me that when I paid attention there was so much trash lying around. By the time I had made it home, I had filled up my small bag.
Not only did I have a spring in my step from my emotional state, I also saw my actions for the metaphor for it was. Considering our outside world is simply a reflection of our Inner World, I recognized that my picking up the physical trash in order to clean up the mess, was analogous to my cleaning up my inner thoughts and bad habits. As I cleaned up my outer world, my inner world was being cleaned up too. And that was certainly a good thing.
What if we all took the time to pick up a piece of trash or two. We have an opportunity to springboard our actions not only to doing a great thing for Mother Earth, we have the opportunity to see the Spiritual aspect of our trash picking. Notice how this external clean up affects your own inner clean up.
Mother gives us so much of her abundant offerings. As we give back, we give our gratitude for her gifts she bestows upon us every day.
Thank you for reading and Namaste (the Light in me recognizes the Light in you!)
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Commercial from the 1970's. Keep America Beautiful.
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