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The "Green Thing" Author Unknown
Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment. The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days." The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." The older lady said that she was right - our generation didn't have the 'green thing' in its day. The older lady went on to explain: 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 sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the 'green thing' back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But, too bad we didn't do the 'green thing' back then. We walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator or elevator 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 wadded 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 and use the machines powered by 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 blade 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 streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24 hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the 'green thing'. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. We didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger 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? |
Monday, March 2, 2015
The Green Thing
Monday, February 23, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Thought for the Day
The Law of SUCCESS
Give Thanks Every Day
by Napoleon Hill
by Napoleon Hill
Many successful men and women claim they are
"self-made." But the fact is that no one reaches the pinnacle without
help. Once you have set your definite major goal for success—and taken your
first steps to achieve it—you find yourself receiving help from many unexpected
quarters. You must be prepared to give thanks for both the human and Divine
help you receive.
Gratitude is a beautiful word. It is beautiful
because it describes a state of mind that is deeply spiritual in nature. It
enhances one's personality with magnetic charm, and it is the master key that
opens the door to the magic powers and the beauty of Infinite Intelligence.
Gratitude, like other traits of the pleasing personality, is simply a matter of
habit. But it's also a state of mind. Unless you sincerely feel the gratitude
you express, your words will be hollow and empty—and sound as phony as the
sentiment you offer.
Gratitude and graciousness are closely akin. By
consciously developing a sense of gratitude, your personality will become more
courtly, dignified and gracious. Never let a day pass without a few minutes
spent in giving thanks for your blessings. Remember that gratitude is a matter
of comparison. Compare circumstances and events against what they might have
been. You'll become aware that no matter how bad things are, they could be much
worse—and you'll be grateful they aren't.
Three phrases should be among the most common in
your daily usage. They are "Thank
you." "I'm grateful. . . " and "I appreciate. . ."
Be thoughtful. Try to find new and unique ways to express your
gratitude. Not necessarily in material gifts, however. Time and effort are more
precious, and the amount of these you dispense in showing gratefulness will be
well worthwhile.
And don't forget to be thankful to those who are
closest to you—your wife or husband, other relatives, and those you associate
with daily, whom you might tend to neglect. You are probably more indebted to
them than you realize.
Gratitude takes on new meaning—new life and power—when spoken
aloud. Your family probably knows you are grateful for their faith and hope in
you. But tell them so! Frequently! You'll find a new spirit pervading the
household.
Make your gratitude creative. Make it work for you.
For example, have you ever thought of writing the boss a simple note telling
him how much you like your job and how grateful you are for the opportunities
it offers? The shock power of such creative gratitude will bring you to his
attention—and could even bring you a raise. Gratitude is infectious. He might
catch the bug and find concrete ways of expressing his gratefulness for the
good services you are rendering.
Remember there's always something to be grateful
for. Even the prospect who turns down a salesman should be thanked for the time
he spent listening. He'll be more likely to buy next time.
Gratitude costs nothing. But it's a big investment in the
future!
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Friday, January 16, 2015
Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday 1/19/15
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy to a friend" Martin Luther King Jr.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Monday, December 22, 2014
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.
It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.
~Author Unknown
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
3 Questions to Ask Before Buying a House
3 Questions to Ask Before
Buying a House
1. Why am I buying a home in the first place?
This truly is the most important question to answer. Forget the
finances for a minute. Why did you even begin to consider purchasing a home?
For most, the reason has nothing to do with finances. A study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at
Harvard University reveals that the four major reasons people
buy a home have nothing to do with money:
- A good place to raise children
and for them to get a good education
- A place where you and your family
feel safe
- More space for you and your
family
- Control of the space
What non-financial benefits will you and your family derive from
owning a home? The answer to that question should be the biggest reason you
decide to purchase or not.
2. Where are home values headed?
When looking at future housing values, Home Price Expectation Survey provides
a fair assessment. Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys
a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts and investment &
market strategists about where prices are headed over the next five years. They then average the projections of
all 100+ experts into a single number. Here is what the experts projected in
the latest survey:
- Home values will appreciate by 4%
in 2015.
- The cumulative appreciation will
be 19.5% by 2018.
- Even the experts making up the
most bearish quartile of the survey still are projecting a cumulative
appreciation of over 11.2% by 2018.
3. Where are mortgage interest rates headed?
A buyer must be concerned about
more than just prices. The 'long term cost' of a home can be dramatically impacted
by an increase in mortgage rates. The Mortgage
Bankers Association (MBA), the National Association of Realtors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have all
projected that mortgage interest rates will increase by approximately one full
percentage over the next twelve months.
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