'Waste Not Want Not'......How many times has Gommy heard that growing up? Any other 'Baby Boombers' out there remember that phrase coming out of your parents' mouths? Or how about "Do you think money grows on trees?". I bet you have. Boomers' parents were from the "Depression Era", which was another time from our relatively recent history, that the country found itself in financial doom. We are experiencing harsh economic times once again and the younger generation is finding it very hard to wrap their minds around it.
I can still see my mother washing out our used, store-bought plastic bags to save for another use. It was more the norm that she would use our empty plastic bread bags or re-use the plastic bags from the grocery store. Her generation knew what going without really meant. Even though we are having rough times now, people are still going out to eat, still going to the grocery store for their food and still driving to get around. Gas and food was rationed during the Great Depression. When I was a young girl, I never understood why it was called 'great' because there was nothing great about it. I later learned the term meant great as in huge, large, etc.
Some of my Moms' habits trickled down to me and I still find that I save 'really good' plastic containers that grocery store food comes packaged in. I find myself thinking, "Hmmmmm, I have to keep this one!". What happens is that I have a kitchen cabinet that is crammed full of containers that I really don't need. Can I bring myself to throw them out? Apparently not. And I can always get three or four more baths from a bar of soap that most people would think is finished.....This is proof that our neuroses is generational. And I have now handed it down to my own daughter......But it's a good thing that she recognized this ailment and has made an attempt at stopping the vicious cycle. She is much better than I am at throwing stuff out, but it took a concerted effort.
I think we hang onto stuff because it is a sort of pacifier for adults. It gives us comfort in some sort of weird way to know that we have 'stuff'. I have recently reduced my 'stuff' considerably and I can honestly say that I don't miss the 'stuff' I used to hang on to. It actually makes you feel alot lighter not to worry so much about your 'stuff'.
I will admit though, that I could always get two or three teeth-brushings after my kids 'thought' the tube of toothpaste was long empty. And I can never throw out a dish washing detergent bottle until I have rinsed it out completely and gotten a few more sinkfuls of dishes washed. Yeah, I still hand wash dishes. It's something about thinking the dishwasher wastes too much water.....I know, I'm still working on myself.
I feel the younger generation never thinks about lack because they have never experienced it for themselves. There has always been plenty for them, so they don't have that built in fear that it won't always be there.
So Gommy thinks we should all try to conserve 'stuff', like energy, water, and things that will help the planet. But for heavens sake, throw out the used plastic bags before you become a hoarder...
