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A word of thanks to litter picker-uppers and others Saturday, Nov 19, 2005 By Micki Bare Late November is the perfect time to pause and show our gratitude, count our blessings and give thanks. The crops have been harvested and once again we have plenty of food stocked up to get us through the long, harsh winter. And if our stores run low, we can always run down the street and pick up a few more items at the 24-hour market. I'd like to personally take a moment to express my thanks to several groups of people whom we common folk seem to easily take for granted. First I'd like to thank all clubs, organizations and individuals who volunteer to pick up trash along our roads and highways. I'm not sure why people toss empty fast-food containers, napkins, soda cans, and other refuse out the windows of their moving vehicles. Trash receptacles are everywhere, yet our roadways are littered with tons of debris. Meanwhile, the kind folks who habitually dispose of their trash in the proper manner spend their free time picking up other's litter. Instead of relaxing on the couch, shopping, catching the latest flick or baking a pie, they walk along busy roads stabbing refuse and collecting it in bright orange bags. Everyone who takes time from a busy schedule to clean up after inconsiderate litterbugs deserves a big "thank you" this holiday season. Thank you for picking up wrappers, cans, bottles, cartons, boxes and unidentifiable icky stuff month after month, year after year, just to keep our roadways pretty. The people who make those pen-style permanent markers also need a word of gratitude. I can't begin to imagine the monotony of the factory jobs involved in the manufacture of the markers. However, if it were not for these dedicated folks, I'd be a mess. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night had I not been able to color in the bright green light that stays lit all the time on the computer in our bedroom. After a couple of nights of fitful sleep, waking up every hour to the bright green glow, something had to be done. So, I grabbed a black marker pen and colored in the green light. What a difference. I was so excited about the dramatically decreased jade luminosity that I applied another black coat the next day. Now I sleep through the night and haven't had even one Martian dream since the second coat dried. I also give the pen manufacturers kudos for their silver version. The black marker is excellent for bright and pastel, as well as white materials. However, my kids are always on the sports teams with the black pants, navy socks, or maroon jerseys. It's hard to see black on these fabrics, and easy to get the uniforms mixed up. My children also like black or dark clothes. My older two wear the same sizes. To be honest, the youngest is catching up, too. The probability of laundry mixups is extremely high in our household. At least, it was until the silver pen was introduced. I absolutely love it. I use it for uniforms, clothes, video game packaging and attic storage containers. Thank you, permanent pen marker factory workers. I greatly appreciate the long, boring hours you spend each day making such a versatile and important product. I also feel it's imperative to thank all the type-A, ultraresponsible, picky people out there. The folks who tell everyone in the household when it's time to leave for church on Sunday morning; those who are motivated to pay a bill the very same day it arrives in the mail; those who make appointments to have their cars serviced every 3,000 miles; and individuals who buy groceries, plan supper, and keep the rest of the household from eating Thursday night's supper on Monday afternoon all deserve a hearty thanks. It is the so-called intense, uptight people in the world that make it possible for the laid-back population to let things ride and relax with that assurance that everything will work out. Of course, everything will work out - the uptight people make sure everything does. Thank you also to the laid-back, calm people of the world. You put life into perspective for those who would otherwise die of a heart attack by age 28. You ensure that the rest of us smell the roses and make time for a pick-up neighborhood game of tag football even when the dishes are piled up and the leaves need to be raked. Thank you, everyone. And Happy Thanksgiving! ------- Micki Bare is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau and the Courier-Tribune in Asheboro, N.C., and author of the book, "Relative Expressions." She lives in Asheboro with her husband and three children. Her e-mail address is mickibare@earthlink.net. |
