Photo: theweeklynabe.com
“I see litter as part of a long continuum of anti-social behaviour.” Bill Bryson
I Wished I Hadn’t
I took myself for a walk today
and I came to a little park,
the sun was out,
the grass was shining,
so I thought I’d sit for a while,
but as I looked,
and I wished I hadn’t for
all was not as it seemed,
a child surrendered
its lunch to the grass,
while several dogs weighed less,
there were tea bags and wrappers,
beer slops and bottles,
so I went to the mall instead.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Paul, pvcann.com
parallax 
So sad that people do that. I live near a park and darn if every time I go there is litter to pick up.
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Sad indeed, I thought it was only us that did it.
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Don’t know why people are so casual about littering….sadly true in my country also Paul.
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I’m sorry to hear that, It’s a curse here, people are so disrespectful and lazy.
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Sadly, this is true where I live as well. My 3-year-old grandson knows that part of hiking in the forest with his grandma is picking up trash.
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Yes, we do it too, sad comment on society, sorry to hear that it’s like that where you live too.
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Definitely not your typical nature is beautiful poem.
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No, bit fed up with the lazy types that live round me.
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Amen.
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You wrote so elegantly about a horrible problem.
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Thank you Heather, though my blood is boiling.
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You are so welcome.
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So sad..!
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Yes, sure is.
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Even at the mall you see things discarded within inches of a trash bin! My pet peeve is spitting. So disgusting, worse if it’s tobacco….I’ll stop there.🤢
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I know, it riles me, I’ll leave it there too.
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When you’re in a chair all the time you have to be careful how you roll. Unfortunately you have a great view of the ground.
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Yes, I have a friend who says it gets messy if you’re not careful.
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Littering is so thoughtless and so easily rectified if people just cared enough.
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Yes, the word care being the main issue, sad that some don’t
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Isn’t it the truth indeed! I took my daughter to the park for dinner last night for her birthday and in that video I took of her playing- she apologized to the camera for all the cussing 🤬 in the background. It was coming from us from the high schoolers trying to intimidate everyone but really they just looked like clowns 🤡
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That’s ironic, glad it worked out that way, sad that people feel the need to intimidate others, especially young ones.
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My Niece Is Very Big On Putting Trash In The Can At Parks. She Hates To See It On The Ground. She Said To Me Once. Auntie The Earth Is Beautiful And No One Cares. She Was About 10 Then, She’s 19 Now. She Still Feels The Same Way. And You Better Not Throw Anything Out The Window While Driving. She Will Have Your Ear For Days. Lol
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I see the car window thing a lot in our rural areas, it’s like they just don’t get it. My wife does what your niece is doing when she walks the dog every morning, I get to it when I can, but it matters.
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Yes!! It Does Matter.
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And being in curmudgeonly mode I forgot to say thank you for taking time to share your niece’s contribution.
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Sure No Problem.
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Sad reality of recent times.
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Yes, wish it were otherwise.
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Me too.
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Despite our wisdom, technology on hand and scientific advancement, we like being surrounded by trash!
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Crazy humans, sad result, our intelligence has its limits or blind spots.
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Indeed…
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When there is no controversy it is peaceful. I love quiet, aloof days Paul ❤
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Yes indeed.
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ouch no civic pride … don’t be a tosser!
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If only, we need litter police.
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we just need to actually respect our environment!
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Absolutely
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A great post my friend. People have no respect for anything anymore. I point my finger at the older generations. We were the ones who failed to understand how our actions were damaging the future. So we did not educate our children on those bad habits.
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I agree Gerry we let the ball drop on this, now its a mess.
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Too true… and sad
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Yes, thank you for responding Luisa.
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😊❣😊
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Yes my sadness each day I walk – I pick up each day to do my bit – I love this poem though as it has put into words my feelings too
>
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Yes, so frustrating, but I really admire what you’re doing.
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At a local park today I was disgusted to see a lot of litter. I couldn’t help myself but at least spend 5 minutes to clean it up as best I could as the park has waste baskets all over so really there is no excuse unless you are just a sloth.
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Fantastic, we do that too, annoying to see it but so good to help, wish it were otherwise.
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Oh yes, at the mall you can get it “first hand”. Sorry for the sarcasm, but at first our politicans force the industry producing so much waste, then they increase their own salaries (becoming stackholders of the businesses), at least they complain about pollution of the environment. In my view, political Europe in particular for decades has known only itself. We must now pay to raise living standards in Africa. Otherwise, people there will understandably get upset. ;-( Michael
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Yes indeed.
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🙂🙂
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Both symptoms of a sick society — the litter and the mall.
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Yes, the trip to the mall is a tilt at irony, sad.
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Bill Bryson, is spot in in his quote.
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It’s unfortunate that people leave their litter everywhere ruining the enjoyment for others. Our world is becoming a messy place!
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Yes, too many have no regard.
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