Your Mom Doesn’t Work Here …
“So pick up after yourself!” It’s a saying we’ve all seen or heard once or twice, if not you’re missing out on some serious Wisdom. It applies on so many levels and in pretty much everywhere outside your home as well. Another saying is, “There’s no B team to clean up after you.” One afternoon you’re sipping on a cold drink, walking down to look at the ocean, the woods, rivers, even a city block and then you finish your drink. What next? What should be obvious to all is to dispose of it in recycling or trash. YOU brought it to your current location. It’s nobody else’s responsibility to remove it. It’s not the government’s job, or China’s, or the city, or landscapers, volunteers, etc. This includes all trash, cigarette butts, oil filters, water from fracking, oil spills, radioactive waste, you name it. You create the mess, you deal with it. Your Mom doesn’t work here.
I walked onto a job site the other day after some contractors had finished up a phase. They left their meal remains, cigarette butts, drinks etc. Wherever they replaced something bad the old part immediately went directly on the ground. This actually happens more often than not. Want to take the test? Go under your house and look around. Check out the plumbing and wiring, insulation, etc. How much is laying around? Under some of the most pristine homes in Charleston is some of the ickiest spaces. Plant some trees or bushes around a new construction site. I’m pretty sure the fill dirt didn’t arrive with scraps from every phase of construction. Even when a dumpster is provided a lot of trash will be surrounding it. In the spirit of not being completely negative I will say there are a few fine people who keep their sites clean and to those that do I salute you. Shine on!
What really makes the difference in an outdoor space or not is whether there’s litter or not. It’s so easy to throw stuff away. Imagine a perfect landscape or beach and now imagine a few pieces of trash or even one plastic bag stuck in the middle of your scene of perfection. Yikes! Let’s mentally remove that piece of trash. Aahhh… Eden. Ya get it?
Your Mom doesn’t work here so please make this Eden again and pick up after yourself!
Much love from Folly Beach and Aloha.
Charlie Stonecypher is the owner of Suncoast Irrigation and Landscaping. They specialize in products that work smart without wasting resources. Contact him at (843) 327-8642 or email
suncoastirrigation@gmail.com.
