Thoughts on Picking Up Trash

We got a two pack of those grabbers that pick things up (not an affiliate link; just for reference). Recently I’ve been inspired to go on walks at night with one of the grabbers and a trash bag.

This is a collection of unordered thoughts I’ve had while picking up some trash.

• This was easier to get into than I thought. It feels good, and makes the moderate exercise feel purposeful, which makes it more appealing than it would be on its own.
• I didn’t realize how much more mindful and in the moment I’d be when doing this. I’m not thinking about work or current events; I’m just walking and looking for the next piece of trash to pick up. I’m noticing nature. I’m noticing parts of my neighborhood.
• The human mind is phenomenal at spotting patterns. I’ve come to appreciate just how quickly our brains are able to highlight things like trash against the surroundings.
• It’s absolutely a privilege that I have to be able to walk around, often around dark, often with headphones in.
• While I might pick up a bag of trash on a given trip, I’m also struck by, and appreciative of, how nice our neighborhood is, and how generally effective our tax dollars are. I know that’s a privilege, too.
• Doing anything that benefits our community has the potential to add up. With everything in the world, it’s so easy to feel defeated. It’s good to have a reminder that you can do something from right where you are to make something a little better, with no interference.
• Virtuous cycles are so important to my wellbeing. When I pick up trash, I’m more eager to walk. When I walk more, I drink more water. When I walk and drink more water, I drink less things I shouldn’t (beer, coffee, etc.) when those things collectively improve, I sleep better, so I have more energy to walk. I can sense negative cycles more easily than positive ones; it’s nice to notice the positive ones sometimes.
• There will always be someone who wants to sneer at you. I was sweating on a hot night walking with a full bag of trash when a woman signaled to me. I took my headphones off, only for her to say “Is that the first time you’re doing that in your life?” I get it; some people (OK, lots of us) are having a hard time, and some need to feel like they’ve got a leg up by putting someone else down. To some people, I fit the profile of the folks who are currently in charge of the government¹. It’s a good reminder to believe in what you do and to try to be there for your community in ways big and small, regardless of what people say or how they react. We’re all in this together. I hope that woman had a better night after that.
  • PS I’ve found the best cure for comments like this is to play dumb and say “Sorry, I don’t understand?” Because in order to explain the joke, someone has to essentially explain that they were being mean to you for no reason despite you doing a good thing and not bothering anyone. It seems to cause some introspection.
• Related to the point above: there are certainly less white dudes like me out there doing any kind of public service than there should be. A good reminder to show up more, and publicly.
• It bothered me at first to feel like I missed any trash as I went by (oh hey there, perfectionism!) But doing it multiple times has helped me see the long game and allowed me to not get so hung up on every piece. The trash bag gets filled up with trash that’s just as real as the piece I missed.
• I’m so digital in my work and life that I often forget to do tangible things with real-world outcomes. A full bag at the end of a walk feels good.
• It feels silly to write about this. But when I thought about why that is, I realized it’s because it feels like something that someone would put in a bullshit LinkedIn post to try to up their follower count or something. Capitalism has screwed up so much about being a person. But this is my space, and my feelings are real, so I get to write about it. And it’s nice to remember that my audience is allowed to also be just me.²

I’m not sure if I’ll inspire anyone else to do this, but I’ve become convinced that I and the world are both a little better off for doing it. And I know it’s possible to be inspired, because one day last year I saw a guy walking down the street a few times with a grabber and I thought “hey, that’s a great idea.” And I hope that guy looks around on his walks now sometimes and thinks “hmm, there’s less trash than there used to be.”