Friday, March 04, 2011

A green and white recycling truck with a crisp clean exterior that gives an impression of environmental responsibility pulls away from the curb. A middle-aged woman in a black wind breaker gingerly approaches the sidewalk, huddled to protect her body's warmth from being blown away by the icy wind. She stops at the curb and stares for a moment at the little pieces of broken glass left there by the truck. She crushes the larger pieces under her foot, and quickly runs back to the house. But then, as though reconsidering (perhaps upon seeing my young daughter gleefully approaching on her red radio flyer tricycle), she hops back to the curb and begins pushing the glass shards into a pile with her sneaker. Turning her recycle bin upside down she places it overtop of the gathered glass (with a bold ignorance toward the plastic bin toppling abilities of the gusty breeze). Looking up at me with an apologetic expression, she mumbles something about her husband getting it later before hurrying back into the warm safety of her sturdy house.