Why do we do that?
It is a bad habit in our house. Whenever we open a package or a letter or a food item, we hold onto the contents and drop the packaging on the counter. In some cases this makes sense, for example while cooking a meal we need to move quickly to get all the steps done. But then we don’t go back and pick up the garbage. Often these little peices of detritus are small. Those plastic things you tear off of milk jugs to open them. Little packets of Splenda. Twist ties from bread. Other times these things are larger. Cheese macaroni boxes. Tortilla bags. Envelopes. All of these things accumulate on our counters creating a feeling of chaos. When I want to clean up the kitchen, the first thing I do is grab a garbage bag and collect all the loose garbage from the counters. By the time I’m done the kitchen looks 50% better.
The puzzling thing is trying to figure out why we do it. I mean the garbage can is right there only three steps away. Is it really that hard to just drop that milk jug ring into the trash instead of on the counter? Apparently so, because we all do it. Howard and I and the kids are all guilty of this. It is a bad habit. Like any bad habit it will take a concerted effort to change it. Most of that effort will have to come from me. I’ll have to add “garbage police” to my roll call of jobs. I know I can do the job of garbage policeman. The problem is being consistent about it. Some days I just don’t feel like picking a fight with my kids over garbage left on the counter. And I really can’t start policing anyone else until I’m no longer guilty. I suppose I could call a family meeting and make a pact with everyone policing each other. That could work. Particularly if there is some kind of motivational chart or prize. Hmm. More thought is required here.