Well, there’s no way to be delicate about this. The city is dirty. At least where I am living presently. Littered. The sidewalks, the parkways, and the streets.
They clean the streets. Every so often. But the one I am living on seems to be overlooked. I see the streetcleaning signs on other blocks, other streets. But not this one.
Walking down the sidewalk, one is greeted with debris and detritis of life. Oout front of the apartment building there is everything from an abandoned paccifer, several soft drink cans or bottles, fliers, and yes, even a dead bird, that no one has seen fit to move even after a week.
Down the street a ways, there are beer cans, small liquor bottles, fast food wrappers.
I have to admit it. I have been spoiled by living in the suburbs. Not as many people crammed together. And maybe people taking more responsibility for cleaning up around their spaces.
And I think of my weekly walks with my friend and neighbor Susan, who regularly stops as we walk, stopping to pick up a water bottle, a coke can, or other recyclable, and then keep walking, then drop it off in the next recycling canister.
That would be great, I thought, except in Chicago there are no recycling canisters—at least not in the neigborhood I am in. So much for that idea.
So, why not me, I decided. So I have started that. I walked over to the store for a newspaper on Sunday and took a bag with me, filling it quickly. And since I forgot to being enough money with me to actually buy the paper, I had to go back to the apartment, get more money, and yes—another bag for collecting more trash.
Two bags done, I finally made my purchase. A Chicago Tribune. And they put it in a bag! Score! So I was able to fill one more bag with garbage, as I chose a new route home.
A small thing, maybe. But done consistently. If more and more people did that, why, then the neighborhood would be exemplary.
It all starts with one trip to the Walgreen's with a bag to fill.
The work of the litter lady is never done. And when I am in the city--or any city (New Orleans in particular)--I am practically beside myself with the extent of the litter problem. And I often say, "The litter lady has itchy fingers," or "The litter lady is getting perturbed," speaking of myself in the third person. And I agree, if I do not have a bag with me, there is no point in picking anything up, and even if I do have a bag, the trash receptacles may already be overflowing, so where will I put my collection? (it's not even worth thinking about the recycling aspect of the disposal) Anyway, the reason I don't take a bag when I walk with you is that with you, the primary goal is connection and conversation. When I have the bag, my focus is elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteAh, Susan, but when we walk, you always find the bottle or can that needs recycling, so some litter work is done, without taking away from the conversation.
ReplyDelete