Thirty years ago while completing the requirements for an elementary education degree, I had the opportunity to develop an anthropology lesson for a group of sixth-graders. It was their job to look at the "garbage" I had collected from various offices and businesses and see what sorts of conclusions they could draw about the people who threw away the trash and the places they worked.
Seeing the garbage left along Highway 9 north of New London each day makes me think back to that lesson. Here are some conclusions I've drawn about the garbage tossers who so generously bring me back to my college days.
n They are soda and beer drinkers. The first legally, the second, probably not!
n They are lottery losers. Hey, I'm sorry you didn't win too!
n They are secret smokers and snuff chewers... underage and not. Why else would someone throw an empty package out the car window?
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n They are fast-food eaters and not always members of the clean plate club.
n They are parade-goers. Bring along a plastic bag next time you watch a parade to take care of your wrappers!
n They don't take into consideration the people who walk, bike, and drive those roadways each day.
Guess what? When you throw away something as you're driving, even though it may end up in the tall grass, it doesn't disappear! It stays where it's thrown until someone else picks it up. To borrow a phrase I've used with my kids... we are not your maids! Keep your garbage in your car until you can dispose of it properly. You'll help make the world a nicer place and give the "maids" a well-deserved day off!
Kim Toops
New London
