Randall Thompson

Here is a wonderful little story A young cashier told an older woman that she should bring her grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized, "We didn't have this green thing back in my day." The young clerk said, "Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She gave him a firm stare and a hard grin and said “Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles, and beer bottles. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over. They were recycled. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, which we reused for numerous things. We walked upstairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power did dry our clothes back in our day. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. The TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, 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 to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. 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 blades with a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. Back then, people took a bus and kids rode their bikes instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles in space to find the nearest burger joint. But the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing.” The cashier stood there still and quiet as the old lady found her wallet to pay. Then lady turned to leave but stepped back and turned toward the cashier. She said “You have a world of knowledge in that little device in your hand. Pity you just use it to gossip, take pictures, and waste time. It would do you good to search a bit of history before you embarrass yourself like this again. Forward this to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart-ass young person.

I find this very interesting. Earth's population is approximately 7.8 billion people. For most people, that's a large number, that's all. However, if you count the world's 7.8 billion people as 100% human, these percentages become clearer. From 100% of people: 11% are in Europe 5% is in North America 9% - in South America 15% - in Africa 60% are in Asia 49% live in villages. 51% - In cities 12% speak Chinese 5% in Spanish 5% in English 3% speak Arabic 3% in hindi 3% in bengali 3% in Portuguese 2% in Russian 2% in Japanese 62% in their own language 77% have housing 23% have nowhere to live. 21% of people eat in excess 63% can eat as much as they want 15% of the people are malnourished The daily cost of living for 48% of people is less than $2. 87% of people have clean drinking water 13% either do not have clean drinking water or have access to a contaminated water source. 75% on the mobile phones 25% nu. 30% have internet access 70% do not have internet access 7% received higher studies 93% of people never went to college or university. 83% can read 17% of people are illiterate. 33% are Christians 22% are Muslims. 14% are Hindus 7% are Buddhists 12% - Other Religions 12% have no religious beliefs. 26% live for less than 14 years 66% have died between the ages of 15 and 64. 8% of people over 65 years of age. If you have a place to stay, eat healthy food and drink clean water, have a mobile phone, you can travel on the internet and you graduated from a college or university, you're in a small privileged group. (In the category of less than 7%) OUT OF 100% OF THE WORLD'S PEOPLE, ONLY 8% CAN LIVE TO 65 YEARS OLD. If you are over 65 years old, be content and grateful. Seize life, seize the moment. You didn't leave this world before you turned 65, like 92% of people who have died because of health. Cherish every moment you have left! ~CDB~