Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Common Sense and Laserbeams

I don't have a high horse when it comes to the environment, I leave that to the professionals. I just don't believe that humans could ever destroy Mother Nature, she's too tough a broad to succumb to the likes of a flock of animals who count opposable thumbs as their super power. And if we could, I don't believe that plastic bags from the grocery store is how we would kill her. I would hope that we'd be more creative than that, like maybe develop a mad scientist-type laser beam hidden deep in an island fortress somewhere. All the evil humans there would wear coverall uniforms in drab gray, or something, except the evil women who would wear something shorter and more colorful. Some of the drones may need to have their opposable thumbs removed to keep them in line.

But I digress.

I recently purchased some of the re-usable grocery bags from Kroger simply because they hold more and are easier to carry. I stopped by the Kroger at Cleveland and Poplar this morning to get some goods for work and took those bags in. At checkout, I stood there watching as, first, the sacker put the blue bags into a plastic bag. I explained to him that I'd already bought them and that the groceries speeding down the belt at him should be put into those re-usable bags. Please. I always say please, it's how I was raised. I then stood and watched as he and a supervisor put the groceries into plastic bags and then put those bags into the blue re-usable bags.

I should have explained it to them, and maybe the girl checking me out. And possibly to anyone I could gather around for an audience. But I spend my days and nights attempting to instill common sense into my four children and I just don't have the energy to try to persuade adults to think before they act. If it were a matter of life and death, then of course I would have made my wishes clear, but as I've said already, I just don't think it is.

We're trying to raise The Quartet to be productive and intelligent members of society. I try to make them see that all of their actions have consequences and that they should always think and consider the outcome before they act or speak. I'm trying to get them to think hard about that laser, about what island chain we should hide it in, about whether or not I'll be high up in the chain of command and, hopefully, get to keep my thumbs. Please?