Nobody Owes Me Clean Streets

Hello Sisters!

Seeing litter––especially cans––on the side of the road drives me bananas. Especially when I’m out walking. I mean, what kind of person can’t be bothered to throw their beer cans into the trash can? 

Clearly not a person like me. I would NEVER do such a thing.

That’s the story I told myself for years… as I walked past beer cans on the side of the road because I couldn’t be bothered to pick 'em up and throw 'em in the trash can.

How righteous of me! 

I mean, the people who throw their cans onto the street probably aren’t being driven bananas by cans-on-the-street! So essentially I’m saying, THIS MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE AND I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER.

Who in hell do I think I am? Nobody OWES ME clean streets!

Before you come back with, “But Stasia, you’re letting those folks off the hook by cleaning up after them!” I hear you. I used to think that way too. Until I realized they’re not actually ON the hook. They’re just walking down the street, throwing out their cans.

No hooks in sight.

To even THINK *I* can put someone on the hook, and then let them off the hook, is pretty high-and-mighty of me.

I don’t want to be high and mighty. I WANT CLEAN STREETS.

So now I PICK UP all the cans I see on the street. 

Not a day goes by when I don't find at least one can on the side of the road while I'm out on my morning walk. And it just so happens that because I live in Vermont, each can I find is worth 5 cents. 

Do you know about my STREET-MONEY collection? Whenever I see money on the street, I pick it up, because I decided that finding money on the street makes me lucky. Last year, I found just over $29 worth of street-money. And I used that money to buy myself the most gorgeous sequined jacket that perfectly EXPRESSes my word of the year!

I’ve decided that I’m gonna add all of my can-money to my street-money collection, so at the end of the year, I can treat myself to something EXTRA special. 

I think this is a genius move.

I took a thing that was driving me bananas EVERY SINGLE DAY, and I turned it into something that makes me feel lucky as hell AND earns me cold hard cash.

When I was stuck in blame, I felt helpless.
When I turned it around and made it my problem, I found a solution.

So sisters, let me ask you, WHERE IN YOUR LIFE ARE YOU STUCK IN BLAME, FEELING HELPLESS? And what can you do to TURN IT AROUND?!