An Email Joke that is SO true...

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, " That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a know-it-all young person.

Reusable vs Disposable Diaperss

Okay, so most of you know how conscience I am of my carbon footprint and how anal I can be about recycling and reusing.  If you don't know, my husband would be more than happy to tell you how annoying I can get, especially if he accidentally throws a recyclable item in the regular trash.

So, with this in mind I have been toying with the idea of using cloth / reusable diapers.  However, I am also a realist and know the limits to my patience, especially when it comes to poop and pee - oh and lack of sleep.  I tried using cloth diapers with my first child and that lasted two weeks.  Actually, that lasted about two days b/c in the two weeks that I tried, I cheated BIG TIME.  I remember being desperate and riping into this diaper cake decoration that someone gave me at my baby shower (insert sheepish smile). I had it in the room b/c it looked cute, but at 2 AM desperation kicked in and cuteness went out the window. Also, during the "two weeks," my mom was visiting and helping me out. Not to mention I only had one baby to care for and all the time in the world.  I now will have 4 kids, very little time, and no mommy to help (unless she surprises me).

Pros to using reusable diapers:

1. Environmentally friendly
2. They've come a long way since my fourteen year old was first born
3. Some which come with liners can be composted 
4. Better for baby (no chemicals)
5. SOME are cost effective
6. Cute patterns 
7. I can gain some bragging rights and feel a bit superior to those "disposable-diaper-moms."  Hahahaha... dang real I will!  If I am cleaning poop and pee off of cloth while suffering of sleep deprivation, I will brag and will feel superior! 

Cons to using reusable diapers

1. Cleaning poop and pee off of cloth.
2. The ones with liners are more expensive than disposable.
3. I am pretty sure no one else will want to help with this kind of diaper change. 
4. More work.
5. More work.
6. Going insane and being grouchy because I am working more
7. Did I mention the cleaning of poop and pee? 

Pros to using disposable diapers

1. So easy! 
2. No cleaning poop or peed diapers - just toss them out. 
3. No going insane. 
4. Hubby and kids can help change diapers.

Cons to using disposable diapers

1. Horrible for the environment.  By age three, baby will use over 6,000 diapers and it will take anywhere from 350 to 500 years to decompose! 
2. Not as healthy for baby.
3. Not as cute as the cloth 
4. No bragging rights :( 

Now with all this being weighed out, I have NO idea which way I am going.  Also, my goodness, there are so many reusable diapers to choose from!  I don't know where to begin or how some of them even work! I have tons of research to do. 

So the question is will mommy guilt prevail or will sleep deprivation win? I think that will be the final deciding factor...