A conversation on Main Street
An office near mine is occupied by a group of young people out to save the environment. (I'm not even sure what that means.) I'm talking freshly-scrubbed, kumbaya, up-with-people tykes in light blue t-shirts; they're so earnest I expect them to break into song at any minute. When our paths cross, and they do cross constantly, we must look like a
New Yorker cartoon, perfectly illustrating ends of the enthusiasm/
world-weariness matrix. I am not exactly sure what they do all day except have meetings in the Sun Inn courtyard and then expedite their agenda by hanging out on Main Street and chatting up the passersby. Politely, though. Very politely.
For the fifteenth time in two weeks.
Kid: Excuse me, ma'am. Do you have a minute for the environment?
Me: (sigh) I've had many minutes for the environment. You do know we have neighboring offices, don't you?
Kid: Okay, but do you have a minute for the environment?
Me: Yeah, I have a minute for the environment. (long drag on cigarette, exhale in his direction, keep walking...)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
An uninvited conversation
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8 comments:
hmmmmm........
What I do with annoying environmentalists is mulch them.
It's a win/win.
so that explains the red tinge and meaty smell of the stuff that i bought at the mulch madness sale
Wombat-
I've always thought you to be extremely creative. That's quite the divergent solution on recycling.
LOL!!! THat was great ! I don't think they are trained to deal with people like US in the public. WE care, but let us show it in OUR own way. Remind them that anything that you would do for free is a passion and sacrifice, everything else is just a job. (smile)
Alfonso
I usually just say, 'I give to Oxfam', and keep going.
I hate it when people try to get me to give my money away on the street, at a moment's notice, with less real thought than I'd give to buying a pack of gum. Like none of us think out our donations carefully, on our own time.
what i find most interesting is the lead and follow-thrus of active and passive-aggression. one of those unspoken clauses in the social contract?
I was just accosted by the light-blue-t-shirted environmental crew in downtown Chicago... The girl who approached me said, "Hey, you're wearing a green shirt; you must care about the environment!" I don't think she quite grasped the transitive property... or logic, for that matter.
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