December Thoughts

Noticeable November is over. Did anyone else keep an account of things they noticed? I'd love to read about it. Email it to me or post a comment. Moving onto December. I don't have anything in mind...well, actually I do. My thoughts are my mind. So here we go for December Thoughts.

Going Green?

There is a lot of concentration to "go green" these days. Reducing carbon footprint. Being environmentally friendly. Tree hugging hippies. Save trees, water, energy, rain forests. I laugh to myself about this because it seems to go out the window for the holidays.

We drive hundreds, if not thousands of miles in our cars, using gasoline to get us to our loved ones. Or pay higher jet fuel prices to get us there quicker.

We use millions of wrapping paper rolls to conceal the millions of toys, gadgets, and doo-dads that emerge for the holiday season. Not to mention there's the fancy packaging they are sold in.

We print who knows how many Christmas cards, send with stamps, to be flown to their destinations, and placed in postal vehicles. Paper, paper, jet fuel, gasoline.

Then there's the Christmas tree. For Greenies who erect a live tree; the joke's on you. How is cutting down a real tree saving Earth? Yes, I know there are tree farms and such, but that also takes space. Clear-cutted space to plant specialized trees that grow quickly and requires water and fertilizer to thrive. Only to cut them down, drag them into an unnatural habitat (homes), adorn with shiny trinkets, and cram those wrapped boxes under. The boxes whose wrapping will be shredded on Christmas morning and tossed away. Well, recycled hopefully.

I know, it's all in the name of fun and spirit. Our home sports a pretend tree. I have come to recognize this is better for the environment, but we have an artificial tree is for health reasons. Growing up we always had a real tree. Every season my sinuses blew up like permanently inflated balloons.

With a fake tree, I don't have to worry about an insect infestation. Or poking an eye out when I crouch down to water it. There's less of a fire hazard as a fake doesn't dry out like a real one. And that piney smell! That can be saved for outside.

So there you go. An artificial tree is not only better for my health, but green wise, too. I guess I still have the un-environmentally friendly problem of Christmas cards and wrapping paper, though.