Action needed,not just talk
Submitted by Daingerfield1 on
The Buzz
By Marlene Bohr
A few weeks ago a neighbor was lamenting on how often she picks up trash and it wasn’t hers and she was just going to stop doing it. That didn’t last very long as she could not bear to see the trash pile up, even if it was on another street and not on the one she lives.
We all need to be as vigilant as this lady is. I have said it in the past and I’ll be glad to say it again. If you want to clean up your neighborhood, pick up a trash sack and start walking. At least keep the streets in your end of town clean. That’s a small part but it’s a start. And it isn’t a very rewarding activity. Ask anyone who regularly picks up streets and highways. My neighbor was getting very discouraged as some people did not notice the effort she had made and kept right on littering the streets.
I remember the day a gentleman called me and was very frustrated. He had filled more than a dozen trashsacks on the county road where he lives and it didn’t take but a day or two to see the roadsides full of trash again. It is sad people have such little regard for the landscapes and the beautiful area where we live. I am glad this man also takes the time to clean up his area.
Make it a habit to carry a sack in your car for trash and throw it in a receptacle or take it home and put in your trash. Many people empty the trash out of their vehicle when they stop and gas their vehicle or take it to a car wash.
Rental property is a huge problem in our cities. A good share of landlords in this area is very responsible; they rent to good people who take pride in the rental property and there is no problem. There is another faction that rents out houses with the intent of getting that rent check, and they pay little attention to how the renter drags down the house or the entire neighborhood. I saw a story written about broken windows. If you start leaving small things untouched, it gets bigger. And so it goes. If a landlord is not savvy on their rental property, it can be run down in no time and that one house cancause all the houses around it in the neighborhood to rapidly lose value.
I wish I had the answer. I wish I knew how to get people to take pride in themselves and the areas where they live. I know it is a thankless job picking up others’ trash. I’ve done it. Just because I wanted to see a nice street on my way home from work, I have grabbed a trash sack and walked and walked. It is disheartening to see the litter pile up within a day of doing so.
Education seems to be the answer to a lot of these problems. If children are not taught in the home, society has a responsibility to help teach them. Somehow we have to instill pride in young people, not justpride for their own home, but pride in neighborhoods and the cities in which they live. Last year Hughes Springs’ youth from the school went on a trash pickup day. They showed pride in their community and a willingness to help keep the city clean.
All of us can drive the streets of nearly every small town in this areaand find property that has grass grown up and junk piled up and on and on it goes. Pointing the finger doesn’t do much good. I know over 30 years ago when I moved to Daingerfield there were city-wide cleanup days. People would meet at the park and were given trash bags and they would branch out and spend hourscleaning up the city. I don’t know when or why that stopped. Everycity should utilize their own resources; their citizens. Let’s revive the cityclean up days and make a difference where we live.
We as individuals can make a difference and keep our streets clean. Just think of the health benefits tobe gained while you are walking and bending down to pick up trash. Plus the pride you will feel for doing your part to keep your corner of the world clean.
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