Clean the Earth

Everyone wants to live in a peaceful, orderly and clean community.  Who doesn’t?

I live in an inner street named “Danube Lane” that turns pinkish during spring as cherry blossoms bloom.  For years, we’ve not heard of reports on crimes as people of different ethnicities live in harmony with one another.  There is just one tricky issue – tidiness.

Generally the road is clean; but there are a few areas that are noticeable unkempt.  Every Wednesday, the rubbish and recycling trucks collect the organic and non-organic wastes and as they leave, a few unwanted items are left at the roadside.

Enter our little family program, “Clean the Earth”.  During Thursday or Friday, my grandchildren (aged 2 and 7) join me as we pick up litters and place these in plastic containers.  Our usual harvest includes fuzzy drink cans; beer bottles; advert papers; and other sundries.  We place these as part of our home rubbish that are collected on Wednesdays. On days that I announce that we are going to “clean the earth”, Emjey, the younger grandchild, would speedily wear her boots, put on her jacket and ask for gloves. The exercise has become more of a fun activity than a task.

Usually, we show our love for the earth when we participate in ‘Clean Up” drives or Tree-Planting excursions.  One time we pursued a clean-up drive in one of the beautiful beaches in Auckland where we collected so few rubbish, as the area had no residents.  That experience made me think about doing something in my neighborhood where many people lived, and where trash at times are left uncollected until the arrival of the garbage collectors.  The result: the little program, “Clean the Earth”.

Danube Lane is clean most often.  I’d like to think of the place as my Garden of Eden that I work on and keep. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)