Trash the Holidays

The city has just released a press release outlining the changes in schedule around the city's trash collection services in response to the holidays. Among the changes in trash days, the city is providing an accommodation that amounts to a free-for-all of trash.

The city provides trash service for residences as a standard city service. Each home is entitled to two bags of trash per pick-up and can leave additional bags by purchasing stickers to place on the excess bags.

For Christmas, though, no stickers are necessary. Leave as much trash as you'd like. The city is recognizing that we celebrate this holiday by being excessive in every way possible. We torture ourselves, our families and our environment with our expectations of each other.

It has become paradoxically fashionable to lament the rampant consumerism of the holiday season while simultaneously accusing people of being Scrooges. At least we're at the point now that we can question some of the anything-goes behavior that was easily justified as being "Christmas spirit" by asking a few question about the implications.

Isn't it interesting that the city and KCP&L launches a massive campaign to save energy one bulb at a time by encouraging the replacement of traditional bulbs with compact fluorescents while simultaneously sponsoring a display of over 80 miles of lights?

The Plaza lights took a break in 1973 when Richard Nixon was a Scrooge who suggested that using power for pretty lights was making us more dependent upon foreign oil. Last time I checked, that dependence problem is even worse now -- but nobody has the guts to say so, or to make the association.

Yes, the Plaza lights are beautiful and turning them on is an event that brings our community together with a sense of pride. I just wish we could be as proud of what we were doing to improve our communities.

Next year, consider calling a truce with your family. Do thoughtful things to show that you are thinking of them and that you care for them. Take them off the hook from having to stress out over getting you a gift.

Give them the gift of peace and they won't even have to take out the trash.