Bill's Art Box

"On Becoming a LitterWalker" - A Fairfield Footnote

      

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What I Did ... What You Can Do ...  ( : . In May of 2015, my bicycle needed a new back wheel. So I decided to walk to Maharishi University of Management Golden Domes instead, twice a day plus return. Along the way I noticed that I was in a seemingly mild state of shock, turning my eyes constantly away from the incidental litter that accumulates in even small towns -- from three-year-old flattened water bottles, all the way to yesterday's chocolate bar wrappers. . . So the next morning -- and ten mornings thereafter -- I left the house seven minutes early. I brought along a white kitchen trashbag and a pair of "expandable fits-all" winter gloves -- the best for picking up scraps of paper. I walked briskly, enjoying my task. And I found that bending over to pick up a piece of litter barely disturbed my gait! After all, the furthest away it can be is just across the street ...   .................           "Let your day be an unbroken chain of random acts of kindness.  .................    The result ...? The extra exercise has done me wonders. The street is now 97% litter-free! And when I or someone else walks along it, it's a joy -- a residential delight ... Here are my tips and observations on becoming a "Litter Walker": 1) Start soon! Each day it is more fun than the previous, because every day the scenery has been improved along your special walk. 2) If you think people will laugh at you, forget it ... I have had more spontaneous congratulations over this small ten-day project than any I have ever undertaken! 3) Pick a route that you use daily or frequently. If you do not walk at all, try it ... you'll like it! Walking is the best exercise. 4) Old trash makes up about 90% of what I pick up. So if someone tells you it will be just as cluttered the following week, ask them to kindly take a hike ... : ) ... and to please pick up the trash along the way. It's the only "path" to a new and litter-free world! 5) Litter is not actually "dirty". After all, it has been washed by heaven's rain for days or even weeks! So simply pick it up ... and drop it in the next trash can or dumpster you see. 6) I picked up every piece of litter that I could see directly from the avenue ... including wind-blown litter in adjoining parking lots, around street corners and -- yes -- even (quietly) in some front yards! The end product ...?  A no-stress walking route for thousands of fellow Fairfield citizens ... and myself! You can create this same effect in your small town or neighborhood ... it was great fun. 7) And finally: Let people know when the trash is gone! ... they may just decide to turn off their TV's, and to start planning their own special random act of kindness. Hey ... we do what works to fix the world, right?  And this works great! Enjoy ... My Route to the Golden Domes in Fairfield, Iowa ... without litter, and with flowers (aaproposal) ... . ................................................................................................................................................................. P.S. A quick "litter quiz" ... If you drop one scrap of paper in a city street where 100 people can see it, how many pieces of litter have you actually created? If it takes three seconds to pick up a piece of litter, how long does it take to maintain your special route once it is litter-free, if twenty pieces of litter occur per week? Another great "Clean Earth" project ... for your company or family, perhaps? RiverKeepers.org     P.P.S. Try these litterwalking energy-blasters ... they also improve the rest of your day, as well!     Transcendental Meditation // Vitamin D3       Amrit Kalash Herbal Formula Some quality businesses and agencies in Fairfield, Iowa: Kessell's Service Station and Garage   British Petroleum Auto Service Center  Iowa State Bank  Jefferson County Mutual Insurance Association  R.A.D.D. Extrusion Inc.  Palmer Muffler and Auto Repair Iowa Department of Transportation Mahavakya Studios Amy Ram Building Fairfield Accounting Services Food Chain Genetic ID NA Balmer Nelson Van Mersbergen Certified Public Accountants The Global ID Group Certified ID LC My Lucky Day Thrift Shop  4th Street Traders Binghimon's Restaurant Sunshine Center Coin Laundry Maharishi Sthapatya Veda Apartments and Offices Sidha National Insurance James D. Pearson Attorney-at-Law Logli's Gas and Convenience Center Fairfield Area Career Academy Indian Hills Community College Maharishi University of Management Kindly note:         Bill is currently in St. Louis, Missouri.         If you find that Fairfield needs some special attention, would you help? .................................................................................................................................................................

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