My long time readers will all remember I have a "thing" about the local landfill. TRULY, it is a fascinating place! Perhaps in a former life I drove a trash truck? One thing is for sure--one man's junk is another man's treasure. If you don't grab that treasure off the side of the road, once it is headed for the landfill---it's a lost cause. They have quite an efficient operation.
I must confess, in my lifetime, there has been quite the evolution of how we handle our trash. As a child there was the oil drum way behind our house where we took the day's trash. When I scooted back the slightly ajar lid to dump the trash can, I was greeted quite a few times by a snarling possum. This ALWAYS led to a scream, throwing the trash straight up in the air, and running for my life. THEN Momma sent me back to pick up said trash, clean up my mess and finish the job-even though death by a mad possum was virtually guaranteed. OH, THANK YOU, that I no longer have to tackle snarling possums to get rid of the trash. (THOSE BUGGERS HAVE NEEDLE SHARP TEETH!) After successfully dumping the trash in the barrel, I struck a match and set the papers on fire that we lined the can with. Hopefully all the trash burned after leaving the lid ajar so the fire could get some oxygen. I don't remember the schedule, but the town garbage truck came by and emptied the ashes and what remained in the truck to be taken to the city dump occasionally. (We didn't have landfills, we had dumps where the trash was then burned again). The EPA was probably created from the air being filled with toxic fumes from dumps all over the country.
Fast forward to today. Trash is an industry-well the handling of our trash. This past week I cleaned out my outdoor storage house and ended up with a truck load of junk. With a borrowed truck, I loaded the junk up and headed to the landfill. LESSON LEARNED--do not go on a weekday mid-morning. The parish and city trucks were also arriving with their first or second loads and I ended up in a line between them all. WHAT must they have thought? Sorry I am off track. First you have to stop on the scale to be weighed before proceeding to unload your truck. In my former life of a decade ago, I went to the landfill regularly to take my yard trash in my role as yard girl and grounds keeper. It was an easy process--I was on first name basis with the gate keeper. They don't know me anymore--sadly.
I proceed to the shed where you dump the trash and sat in line between all the trucks. FINALLY it is my turn, and I get ready to back up. The "man in charge" sees its a lone woman in the midst of all the trucks and immediately stops my backward progress. He make me line up the truck again--I still don't know why I need to move over 3 feet- and then directs me back. The WHOA! shook the entire truck. He proceeds to help me unload my junk-I guess for the sake of me not being there all day. At the bottom of the heap were some old metal stakes. "Is that metal?--You gotta take that to the metal bin, Lady!" I'm staring at him like I've been hit over the head with a metal stake--"WHERE is the metal bin?" Lady--just follow this road and at the stop sign you can't miss it just right across the road. He was right, but the dead give away was all the metal on the ground around the bin. So one more stop to "chunk" (proud to say I can still chunk) the stakes up and into the bin. Back to the scale to weigh again and then I get the old wave which is the high sign for you are dismissed. I must admit disappointment. If anyone was ever perfect for a position at the landfill, it was me. I am a model of efficiency and order. There was no job offer--only a smile and dismissal.
Back in the old days, we would occasionally take a load to the dump and just back up to the pile and throw it on. They don't let you anywhere near where the actual burying is going on. The junk is offloaded into a 18 wheeler and it takes it to the site. I am certain there is good reason for this. Perhaps they don't trust old ladies driving pick up trucks to stay out of the way of the tractors or create chaos.
The trash we accumulate in our lives has become quite an industry. From the time you throw something in the plastic bagged garbage can to the ultimate disposition in the parish landfill there is an intricate process of how things are handled. I am a big recycle fan and actually have more recycle trash than garbage. Wouldn't we all be better off if we were careful of the trash we accumulate? Who wants there life filled with trash? Who wants our world filled with trash? I am not speaking just of the physical trash, but the emotional and spiritual junk we are often burdened with. What is your process of ridding yourself of that junk? Food for thought.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up
Hebrews 12:1