Summer Trash

by Gregory Zeorlin of The Sticky Philosopher

We are avoiding most physical outdoor activities that include the possibility of discomfort.

Garbage "almost" in the trash can.

I mentioned swimsuits and nude beaches on the previous blog entry so my viewers would increase. See, I’m a social media manipulator. Actually, my recent true blog confession revealed I’m a Luddite. But my view on technology changes with the seasons.

It’s the summer season and road trips are starting. My recent road trip included roadside picnic stops with pulled pork sandwiches. animal crackers along with other leftovers from the icebox. However, all of my stops were disappointing. The roadside rest areas are so heavily littered with fast food wrappers that it is hard to stop and get out of the car. Might as well eat a greasy 800 calorie McJackWhataKing burger and let the wrappers pile up on the floor of the car. It’s not much different from sitting at a roadside picnic table. Although the odors in the picnic areas are despicable.

How does trash end up on the ground rather than in the trash cans? I was raised not to toss trash out of the car window. I can’t walk away from a picnic table strewn with napkins and soda cans. I pack out what I pack in. Based on observations at picnic areas, I’ve deduced that those who litter span all socio-economic levels. Littering is due a disconnect with the world we live in. We’ve managed to insulate ourselves from the great outdoors. We are getting soft in the middle.

We are avoiding most physical outdoor activities that include the possibility of discomfort. The only outdoor physical discomfort most of us repeat on a regular basis is over eating at picnics. We don’t go on vigorous hikes. We complain if we start to sweat. Eventually the outdoor experience is reduced to sitting in climate controlled RV units hauled to sites where we peer through windows at the tress. And we look at the trees just until the satellite dish starts tracking. And if we can’t have the big rig, we settle for something smaller and tame the wild by drinking 30 packs of canned beer.

I mean, come on! It’s better to drink beer from a glass bottle out in the woods regardless if you are a tent camper or a 4 mpg RV rig driver. Since I’m a low volume consumer of fermented drink, I’m very selective. I’d take an Iron Thistle beer from Rahr and Sons to the great outdoors. However, most of the time a canteen of water will beat anything else we can drink. The great outdoors should be experienced with a clear mind 99% of the time. Plus we will be alert enough to pick up the trash!