Sunday Scribblings " Unlearn"

I created this plate and mug for a wedding shower
Sunday Scribblings Prompt " Rooted"

"Unlearn"

I’ve scrapped my poem for for Sunday Scribblings after yesterdays jaunt to the mall (my least favorite place to be), I might add. My daughter was on a mission to find a gift, I trailed along. While racing past Cotton Ginny a rack of kelly green shirts with the word “Unlearn” jumped out at me. Perplexed, it took me a moment to compute the meaning. Pondering possibilities, of what we need to “Unlearn”? It was like a lightening bolt struck! “Oh yeah, that’s what it means!”

Today I asked the kids what they thought a shirt sporting the word “Unlearn” meant. They were more concerned I had purchased one for them, rather than answer the question. Pepper spouted that you can’t “Unlearn” what you already know! They didn’t pay much heed to my question, instead just kibitzed back at me!

I haven’t told them yet that we need to “unlearn” pretty much our whole lifestyle pertaining to the environment, everything, from paper napkins to driving our cars. There is a call to get back to basics, more than anyone realizes, to save our planet and be environmentally responsible.

Long before the blitz on ecological issues, I became frustrated with how things have been constructed the last thirty years. Durability of household items is lame! My mother had a Sunbeam hand mixer for well over thirty five years. They were used faithfully, more than I have ever used mine. I’ve seen the life of probably six sets of beaters in the last thirty years. The same with coffee pots and toasters! The life span of house hold items is short in comparison. This is just a small environmental issue of our throw away world. Don’t worry, I’m well aware I probably contribute to much of the hypocrisy we live!

We need to “ Unlearn” how we use our vehicles, that may even mean putting children in less extra curricular activities, spending more one on one time with them at a local park instead or playing a game of rummy! Planning out car trips, to accomplish several errands at one time! Putting less water in a bath tub, letting kids bath one after the other. Rethinking how we live, “Unlearn” all our wasteful bad habits.

I worked in a grocery store years ago, it was only open until nine p.m. Thursday and Friday nights, closed on Sundays. All the other days it was open until six p.m. everyone managed to get their shopping done in that period of time. Parents were home with their children, many teens worked the evening shifts until nine. Now the big florescent lights are on twenty four seven! Everyone works until midnight all week long. Instead of having the bulk of the employees working during the day, it’s spread out until midnight! Families are void a parent for meals, as well as evenings and Sundays. You could throw a bowling ball down each isle, with only a trickle of people who shop until midnight. They basically obliterated the little mom and pop grocery store, now I hear tell next year we will be getting our first Walmart grocery store….which I’m sure will swallow up many of the local grocery chains too.

I was fortunate to live in a home with frugal, old school parents. They didn’t waste a thing, ever! They didn’t even drive the car unnecessary. Today there is a dire need for that old school mentality, even more than ever before. We need to “unlearn” so many bad habits that are deeply rooted in our North American culture today! Vintage is in!