Today, I Littered

I never liter. I felt terrible, knowing at home the great extent I take to recycle, and even attempt to compost. Riding along highways in columbus, I always love seeing the bags being picked up by trucks from clean up efforts, though know that means how much liter there must be tucked below the ditches. I cannot even compare the difference of trash here. Streets are colored full of plastic and garbage, with the occasional singed black spot on the dirt from where there has been some trash burned. The distinct smell when neighbors light their trash on fire in singed in my nose. I do applaud the efforts at least in our home to take any leftover food ends, scraps, and peels, and give them to the cow next door (aside of course from the best of the leftovers which is for Riason, the family puppy on the tomato farm). The amount of trash you see in the streets and river is remarkable. It’s such a sight, with all the colors almost providing a twisted beauty. The vibrant colors seem to shimmer with the seemingly always blue sky. The plastics especially provide magical light shows. To the people, there’s nothing to bat an eye at. This is normal, and most know no different. 

I asked from a friend here thoughts on any kind of system that the government might try to put in place or if there ‘was’ already one. He agreed it would be great, but as of now the number one priority is getting water to everyone. Just water. Not even clean water. Families use 5 gallon jugs of mineral water even to do anything in the kitchen. His thoughts were also that the next big project would be to improve some of the treacherous roads actual paving and some structure around them. Given the recent fatalities way too close to home due to the road condition and lack of driver awareness, I would argue that’s a fair second place for some needed improvements. With such basic needs to meet first for the people here, I don’t think their concern is in my candy wrapper liter at the moment. 

Continuing to delve into this culture and what life is like in Lolang Heights, I am so grateful and proud of our family and all they are trying to do to continue sustainability and saving. Not only are they working on the agricultural abilities to provide for their family, but it’s another source of income besides the guided trekking business. This is a family business. And there can be so much to learn from a garden. I am being reminded of this on a daily basis. 

I leave today feeling guilty over my one stupid piece of trash. But realize there’s so many bigger things that I ought be be considering and worrying my mind with that would continue to better the interactions I am having and for the improvements of this wonderful community. 

Tomorrow, I am off to Pokhara with Indira to meet back up with Sarah and Basu for a mini getaway. I hope that the mountainous and less populated area brings less trash. Though it really is oddly pretty.

Śubha rātrī