The Trash Talk & Walk

     In case any of our kids find themselves in deep trouble with the law later in life they will be professionals at how to accomplish their community hours.  This time of volunteering was to teach our children about the dangers of littering and the awareness/benefits of recycling/reusing.  We used the Fox River, in Geneva/Batavia, to foster that lesson.  All 35 kids met by the riverfront, I spit out my gum in the grass and handed out plastic gloves to keep their hands from getting contaminated as we gave them the glorious chore of picking up trash along the bike path.

     Two observations;  First, I cannot believe how mindless it was for me to spit my gum out and essentially do the very thing I am teaching them not to do.  Do as I say, not as I do right?  And secondly, bikers were not pleased nor impressed with our efforts that day.  Mind you we were toting about 35 kids, a dozen strollers, and granted the kiddies were scattered and scurrying like tiny sugar ants looking for their next fix.  Regardless, you could clearly see that we were working toward a good cause and for a purpose, not just galavanting along the bike path for our own pleasure.  My question is, is it the bike AND walk path or is it just the bike path?  We were yelled at one too many times which made me wonder that very question, but that did not hinder us from keeping on with our goal.

     I have to say whomever is in charge of cleaning up the riverfront does an excellent job!  It's not like we were in the inner city finding trash in every corner.  This was more of like an Easter Egg hunt with little chins trembling, lips quivering and eyes watering at the thought that they would not be the ones to find but one piece of garbage.  Once we got into our 3 some mile walk though every child found their own treasure.  Some plastic containers that once held raw chicken, bits of animal skeletons (or at least we hope it was an animal and not something else?!), shells (now we don't have to go to Florida on that Spring vacation), and many, many other random pieces of trash that enraged our kids the more they understood the concept.  Now, as we drive around town the kids and I see trash everywhere!  Since they don't have their disposable gloves on though they are not so keen to be the good samaritan that they were on that day.  

     This may have not been the dirtiest of jobs for them, but they understood the idea and it was a seed planted.  Some of the children even asked to go garbage picking the next day.  What a cool trend we could start!  I can also proudly say that we did not lose one child to the river that day.  They all waded close enough to get the mushy pieces of floating garbage in the sludge.  It gave me heart palpitations every time I saw dozens of them hovering over the water's edge in various ways and in differing heights.  I breathed through it and we all survived.

     The day ended at Island Park with a picnic, playtime and a craft that was created out of a cardboard toilet paper roll to show the kids that we can be responsible and creative with our garbage.  Now, if we have by chance created hoarders out of this endeavor, that can be another problem.

     I have to give props to all of our hard working kids for walking over 3 miles there and back.  I have to give bigger props and apologies to all our mothers, but specifically to our 3 pregnant mamas who had to journey the same distance in near 90 degree heat.  They were miserable, but all smiles with a promise they would not go into labor!  Stay tuned for our next endeavor.