Jabberlips at Her Best

Growing up in Oregon automatically made me live what the media likes to call Green. We recycled, composted, walked to work to save gas, and most importantly appreciated our surroundings. It’s easy to appreciate nature when you live in one of the most beautiful places on earth (I’m not biased at all). Suddenly, the rest of the country has found itself crazed to do the same—Go GREEN. Basically all it means is building new habits and new mindsets, but the media likes to portray it as a drastic step to single-handedly save the world…from global warming no less.

Our new office building has joined the band wagon, working toward its Silver Status on the Going Green scale. We as employees are encouraged to recycle and compost, turn off lights when leaving a room, and limit the amount of water we flush in the loo. For me personally, this isn’t a change, but rather a return to the norm. But I’ve discovered my normal is by far not normal here. Just the other day one of our managers flung his banana peel into the trash reciprocal rather than placing it in the compost bin. Both bins sit side by side, so I figured he’d merely forgotten about the new service and kindly reminded him. He wasn’t pleased as he watched my uncontrollable hand pluck the banana peel, now stuck to a tissue and old stir stick, from the trash and place it in the CORRECT bin. Little did I realize my lack of control would create an uproar. Not only was he completely grossed out, but he proceeded to tell me how recycling is a waste of energy and his one banana peel isn’t going to benefit anyone.

Now, I’ll give him this…media’s concept of Green has gone too far. But sadly, we’ve lost focus on what we’re really trying to accomplish. Isn’t there a happy-medium? Perhaps a place where we can call ourselves Green, but move beyond that and appreciate the reasons why we do it? One banana peel isn’t going to save the world…that’s not the point at all.  I relocated the peel because I appreciate the world I live in. It’s my small way to express gratitude. It’s my way to show God I love his Creation. I may seem Green, but really I just love the greenery.

You may wonder about the header for today's blog...My dear sister nicknamed me Jabberlips because I talk way too much sometimes.  This morning I was feeling a little Jabberlippy...