Waste

I wrote an ethical construction last term on the idea of waste. I spoke about actual waste and figurative waste.

We live in society where waste is normal. We waste anything that no longer has use to us.

This idea blossomed in my mind after reading Wendell Barry's book, "The Unsettling of American Culture and Agriculture". Barry implies how humankind treats earth is symbolic to how we treat each other. (It is a really amazing book, I recommend everyone should read it)

I haven't really thought about the book or the paper I wrote after the class ended. Until today when I was on a run today. My friend asked me if he was a friend that pushed me to be a better person or if he was a person that dragged me back to my old ways.

At one point I would of have told him he was a friend that dragged me back to my old ways and cut him out of my life.

Except I cannot just cut people out of my life. I just cannot do it. People shape us, when I have a relationship with someone I cannot just dip out.

It goes to my idea of waste. Yes I have friends who are not always good influences on me but I cannot     coin them as waste. People shape us, the good and the bad.

In a weird way I think of people like a banana. The people that help me grow are like the inside of a banana, the yummy part that nourishes me. The peel is the people who seem like they can just be thrown away, but the peel of a banana can be used for so many things.

Banana peels can remove mosquito bites, polish shoes, whiten teeth, heal bruises, polish silver, heal acne and even feed roses!

So people, the people I think drag me back to my old ways, can be beneficial. I just have to think outside of the box and find the good in everything.

Jordan use to get mad at me when I hung out with certain people he didn't approve of, he said they could be a bad influence and my argument was if someone can be a bad influence, I can be the good influence.

This is where it lies, we can either throw out everything we deem bad, or we can be real and honest and work towards finding the good in everything. It takes a lot of work and it takes even more self-control.

I am learning that I have to be strong in myself and be true to me. I can have all types of people in my life as long as I know who I am and am not influenced by people.

As for my friend who I would have once deemed as a bad influence is someone I was harshly honest with. He is understanding of who I am and where I am coming from and it is the most healing experience to not be someone else and be accepted as me.

If we can find the beauty in all people, and in all things, we no longer have to have waste over flowing from our trash or our hearts. We will have community, connection, cultivation.

A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow. -William Shakespeare