Recycling woes
I’ve come to the realization that I shouldn’t hold other people to the same standards as I hold my ideal self. I know it sounds cynical, but I’ve found that it doesn’t work to expect others to behave as logically as you do. You’ll be constantly let down. Face it, no one calls their own behavior illogical.
No, I haven’t been reading some pop psychology book — but what got me thinking was the horrid conditions in which people leave the trash rooms at my condominium complex. Sometimes I think my slothful neighbors actually want to attract ants, flies, and other swarming insects. I hate to tell you this, but I sometimes spend a few extra minutes in the trash room cleaning up after others. Once, I found that someone had put two milk containers in a trash bin when there was a recycle bin right next to it. These milk cartons were half full of warm milk, and the expiration dates on the cartons were from at least two months prior. C’mon people! How long does it take to pour milk down the drain, or at the very least, in the bushes?!? According to my condo association, most of the recycle bins are frequently “contaminated” with non-recyclable trash — the dedication that most neighbors put into recycling materials is wasted by the apathy of a few. And don’t get me started on the number of times I’ve approached the trash room to find piles of trash (most not properly sealed) outside the door. And after I clear a path to the door, I find that half of the trash inside the trash room has somehow not made it into the numerous large trash bins — most of which are nearly empty.