Over 30?

Checking out at the grocery store recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologised 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 not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She was right about one thing -- our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then…? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have.... 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 sterilised and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. 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 waded 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 bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums 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 computerised 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?

One of Black Rose's BD Gifts - It's perfect :)

We had 28 Guests for the Surprise Party.   The look on her face was too precious when she saw the cake (see below).  She is a Tim Burton fan and it was perfect!  Thank you everyone for coming, thank you to each of you who have sent her BD wishes on-line as well.  

This gift is created by a local artist using only recycled material. And in honor of 'Black Rose' is painted entirely black.  It even has 'thorns'!! When they requested that he make a black rose, he asked if they wanted green leaves, and of course the answer was 'no, completely black please'.   

Where I am- right here, right now, today.

I am young enough to appreciate the youth, but old enough to think that 58 is too young to die.  I like where I am in my life. I am young enough to appreciate life and those around me and yet old enough 'to know better'.  May I not be viewed as 'immature' but as 'playful' and be respected for who I am.  I think if you lose that 'playfulness' you do get old.  I think too many people get caught up in age and how others act within their age group.  Heavens, how many times have you heard "act your age".  Maybe I just don't want to today.   That's the Rebel coming out in me. 
The youth think 25 is old (I am sure I must have too) and the aged think that's a child.  Yet as we age, somehow the age difference seems to lesson and the views become more alike. I remember when my date came to pick me up.  My brother wanted to know what that 'old guy is doing here'.  You should have heard him go on and on (the 'old guy' was 29), funny how when he himself got to be 29 it wasn't "old" any more.  I like this place that I am at....I maybe old and fat, but I've got personality!