Sir, May I Have Your Trash?

   This is what was said on one of our plane trips to Guatemala (or it may have been on the way back, I can't remember which).

   Our own Pastor Cory had decided upon a nap and had not eaten his in-flight "meal". Being close to landing, the stewardess had been collecting the "trash" from the other passengers. She simply saw it as trash (Many passengers don't eat their "meal", so this probably wasn't unusual for her) and wanted it cleaned up. Cory, on the other hand, wasn't about to waste food (even airline food).

   I recall the phrase "One man's trash is another man's treasure". How the value we attach to everyday items can vary wildly between the items and our perception of it's value (and even that cane vary depending upon actual value and sentimental value). How much food gets thrown away every year? Answer: Approximately 1.3 Billion tonnes worldwide (Source). How many people simply flip a switch or pull a lever to get electricity and on-demand clean water? How many consider that a luxury? How many don't even have it available? How many people have to spend 7-8 hours working to collect water for their family?

   I also recall the quote from Gandhi: “The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed .” How true of a statement this is. Not exactly something common in a culture immersed in instant gratification and "bigger is better" mentalities. Simply having the freedom or right to do something doesn't necessarily mean you should or that it is healthy. Just because you can do a thing, does not mean that you must do that thing. Another quote along these lines is this: "Your right to believe anything does not mean anything you believe is right." -Rick Warren


   Now, this isn't just about food (which I would be more than happy to do), this can be anything. Someone who is technologically will care about what kind of computer he uses compared to someone who just wants something to use a web browser on.

   Or to go politic here, we have being reported is that $1 Billion per day is spent fighting global warming. Or to go even more political, only 17% of the federal government was actually shut down during the "shutdown". There was even more money spent shutting down and barricading off what was essentially "outside".

   Speaking of government waste: This and this make me feel warm and cozy inside.

   So, the question remains: what can be done to reduce waste? What can be done to help? Well, I suppose the first step would be that every one should live within their means. Only buy what they can afford and only those things they will use. This is the first step. Next will be finding ways to help those that cannot help themselves (remember: you put the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping others. Or: You can't help a drowning man if you can't swim).