Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Fundamentalist Trash Pickup

8:36 PM | Posted by Steve | Edit Post
There's a street not far from my house, and on this street lives a man. I've seen him for ten years.

Each Tuesday morning he places his recycle bin and his trash bin at the curb, just as I do. Except the trash doesn't run every Tuesday. Holidays that are celebrated on Mondays cause our city services to be delayed one day. I sometimes forget and take my bins to the curb on those Tuesdays. But, I sometimes remember not to take them. And, sometimes when I forget, I go back to the curb and retrieve my bins and put them out the following day.

This fellow always takes his bins to the curb. Every Tuesday. Regardless of holidays. It's as if he has his schedule, and the fact the city changes its schedule has no impact on him.

I also happen to know that this man is staunchly fundamentalist in his faith. He's also incredibly giving, doing things I can scarcely dream. But, staunchly fundamentalist. And, I couldn't help but wonder if there is something that underlies both an unwillingness to alter his trash bin schedule and his view of God. Perhaps the thing that drives him to take his trash the curb even when the city isn't going to pick it up is the same thing that makes him comfortable with a rigid view of the world and the world beyond.

At some level, though, he must know the trash schedule is different. At some level, though, he must alter his approach to trash. After all, he doesn't retrieve his still full bins on those holiday week Tuesday nights. He leaves them out until Wednesday.
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Sometimes you think I'm daydreaming, but I'm actually thinking about something. No, really. Honestly. Sometimes.

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