I'm constantly feeling guilt for neglecting things on my should-do list (I should take Deacon for a walk, I should sweep the floor, I should call my grandma, I should bathe Lucy more often...)
But now that we're official recyclers, I'm giving myself a bit of guilt reprieve. Ever since we moved here, I've noticed the blue recycle bins out on the street and thought: hey, I should call and get me one of those. But I didn't. Because I'm lazy. And I thought it would cost extra on our sanitation bill.
And then, a few weeks ago on a guilty whim, I called and asked how much it would cost to start recycling. Nothing, the lady on the other end tells me. I'm already paying for it. What?? Then why don't you just give a can to everyone? Of course, I didn't think to ask this until I got off the phone. But I intend to find out. Probably it will take me another three years to call back though, because as you can see, the should-do list is awfully long.
Tomorrow is the first pick-up day. And for some reason I've taken especial relish in flattening all my cardboard and rinsing out my milk jugs. I'm like a classic token environmentalist. Recycling makes me feel good. Like I'm balancing out all the times I let the faucet run or how many candy wrappers I've gone through in my life. Like I'm finally doing my part. It's mostly an illusion, I know. If I were really to contribute, I'd put my kids in cloth diapers and catch gray water in the shower. But let's be serious--I can't even bring myself to sweep more than once a week (and Dave will tell you that I'm eggagerating here. I sweep much less than that).
So. Babysteps.
Go ahead--pat me on the back.
5 comments:
we tried that once. they don't have a program here, so we had to haul all our stuff to various recyclers--one we had to pay, and the can guys gave us like $2 for a zillion cans after we had to drive 10 miles to get there. um, yeah...i got over my guilt real quick. btw, i, too have a difficult relationship with my floors ("what? it's the floor. it's supposed to be dirty") I pay a YW $5-7 /week to clean my wood floors thoroughly on tuesdays. so top MY laziness...
Maybe not giving Lucy frequent baths is the result of your enviro-guilt? See, it's a good thing...you're preserving water! At least that's what I tell myself when I bathe McRae the 2-3 times a week that I do it. "He's a boy...he's supposed to be dirty." I tell myself that to make myself feel good...and you know what, I'm still sleepin' pretty good at night too!
it's like you read my mind, i called yesterday too and set up our recycling, 22 days into home ownership and I still hadn't set up trash service (we live in the country so we have to go private trash service)...i hadn't bathed asher in 3 days and he even wore the same clothes for two of the days...wore, slept in, then wore again...and i finally swept my floor last night for the first time since moving in, i wanted to mop too but laziness won out!
I don't know if its's laziness or just being a mom. I've told Kevin, on more than one occasion, that unless it is screaming, whinning or crying it just won't get my attention. Heck, I still haven't unpacked! I think hired help is the way to go here, I should look into it.
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