In the early days, we cared, we considered, we took steps back before taking actions, we trusted, we worked together, we were in unison, we saw ourselves as ONE BODY, such that when the feet or the head hurt, the whole body would hurt along with it. We were mindful of our thoughts and actions, and this by default made us TRUE to ourselves, our community, our people, and our very being. I have, over time, wondered what went wrong? Why did we imbibe the act of disposing of our trash improperly? Why did we lose sight of what was part of our very existence? Our environment is an integral part of us and yet, we have let it wither. We let it lose its light and freshness by a constant replete of dirt and filth.
Students, get in here, I see you drop the gum wrap and fizzy drink bottles for the janitor to pick up after you when the bin is in close proximity. Yes, we have been challenged and cheated out of what we deserve. The school system is not making things any easier as we have been left to figure a whole lot out by ourselves, but we have control. We can try to change the course of things by starting small, we can control how we react to ourselves and our environment. Why not live out our Circle of Concern (things we have little or no control over), and focus on our Circle of Influence (things we can actually control). It has become our second nature, one that is hazardous and costly. My entire being cringes when I see trash littered all over the school premises, giving way for some to drop into the school drains.
The implication of our carefree actions are thus:
- We give way for harmful germs to feast on our environment and by inhaling the dirt, we automatically inhale these germs into our bodies and BOOM! Infectious conditions are born.
- Shall we dwell on the aspect of stacks of litter serving as breeding grounds for diseases and disease-causing agents, these agents hang around us and, by default, become our buddies. Yet we complain of food poisoning when we are part of our own problems.
- Litter diminishes air quality due to smell and toxic chemicals emanating from the trash (so hey, we are inhaling filth, people, not fresh air).
- For those looking to study Marine Biology, know that your litters affect marine life. If, for some reason, the litters find their way into the ponds and are digested by the animals, know that their stomach capacity reduces significantly because they have been fed what is not designed for them.
- Can we speak to what we lose in terms of aesthetic value and tourism? We clamour for our institutions to be regarded as world-class, but we in turn fill it up with filth, so then imagine what this does to our aesthetic value, both locally and internationally.
Perhaps, if strict litter laws are enacted by the student body or school authorities. Such that cameras are installed all around campus and defaulters are called out and made to pay substantial fines, or do community cleaning service for 2 weeks consecutively every time they get caught defaulting, then just maybe we will become more compliant and more law-abiding. The truth is the habits we learn now whether good or bad, stick with us as we go along in life. So take heed, do right, and ask yourself the question, what is the true purpose of education???
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels
