Irritation Nation

Today's Topic - Litter

Honestly. I’m aghast that I’m even writing this. But more than that, consider me supremely irritated.

On a trip out of town recently, I had to attend a public function. Chatting with friends when it was over, I realized we were among the last to depart the venue. Gazing around the nearly vacant stadium, the rows of empty seats were a stark contrast to the floors in front of them, which were littered with empty concessions containers. How hard is it to carry an empty beverage or food container with you, and deposit it in a trash receptacle, on one of many trips to the bathroom?

For whatever reason, this thought stayed with me on the long journey home by car. Traveling through several states this time of year is an ugly process. Nothing is blooming, and unless its snow covered, it’s mostly hues of gray and brown. Except for the bright spots of trash along the highway. Why, oh why, would you throw your trash out of the car window, instead of putting it in the nearest litter can, or carrying it home to be put in your recycle containers? After all, it’s your trash.

Come on people. This is the twenty-first century. We have eBooks, BlackBerries, iPods, iPads, Mac Books and a million other gadgets which supposedly make us more enlightened than our predecessors. If that’s true then the question begs to be asked. What happened to our self-respect? Our commitment and pride in the area in which we live? Our pride in our country? (oh, excuse that last one, it’s not PC to have that anymore. Call me a redneck, because I have it anyway) Did we give them up for the latest gadget?

I’m not your mother. But don’t preach to me about how humans are harming the planet, and deride me about my lifestyle, when you don’t even have the decency to clean up after yourself. Don’t make me break out the crying Indian.

Irritation Nation

Welcome to another item on my ever expanding train of blog thoughts. What is it, you ask? Well, this is the spot for me to vent, as it were. Not about things of huge importance in the world, nothing life-threatening. Just those things about which one as an individual can’t really do much, just suffer through the irritation. And it’s not really even about the suffering. These things just aggravate me to no end, okay?

Today’s item: The Fast Lane

Now I might be dating myself here, so bear with me. Do you remember when the left lane of the freeway was truly designated ‘the fast lane’? I clearly remember reading in my driver’s education handbook, ‘Slower traffic should keep to the right’.

It seems as though it’s become the hang out lane. A very special lane for people to go slower than most of the traffic, and they won’t be bothered by the rest of us. Just this week, I’ve seen people holding up traffic in the left lane because they are on their phone, texting, reading a map, and/or eating their lunch.

Don’t misunderstand, I do my share of this on the freeway sometimes too. Just not in the left lane.

I must have missed the rule change here. So if there are people speeding by you on the right and giving you that finger wave which tells you how truly special you are, at least have the courtesy to wave back.