Waste Not, Want Not
Tom Brokaw calls it the Greatest Generation. I call it the clean-plate generation. One thing is certain–the experience of growing up during the depression is still with them. Waste not, want not is now part of their DNA.
Waste not, want not moments are a regular part of our annual trips to Yuma to visit Gail’s Dad. I don’t know whether things go better with Coke, but I do know our family drinks its share and wastes a fair amount in the process.
Pauline discovered a nearly full can of Diet Coke with no apparent owner, and put it in the refrigerator. Immediate action was needed if we were to avoid a nasty situation. No one wants to drink a flat, half-full Coke, but with Pauline on the prowl there would soon be a six-pack of them in the fridge. We all knew what we had to do, and started working to lessen the damage. We secreted flat, half-full drinks into the sink, emptied them, and carefully placed the cans in the recycling bin.
But, it wasn’t long before Earl joined in Pauline’s effort not to waste a single drop. He came through the living room in inspection mode, and quickly spotted several unattended cans. He scowled, raised his arm, and pointed to each can in turn as though he expected the can to identify its owner. I think he was ready to suggest name-tags for the cans. Tim did the next best thing when he immediately claimed ownership of the can nearest him, and when Earl pointed to another at his right, he said he was watching it for his brother. The can across the room belonged to Gerald, who was in the bathroom, and when Earl pointed to a fourth can Tim found an owner for that as well. Earl continued to scan the room, and Tim who had run out of potential owners was more than a little relieved when he didn’t find any. I entered the room ready to claim a can, and Earl gave me his your-son-is-a-bullshitter smirk. I responded with a whatever-do-you-mean smile.
I don’t know if there is a moral to the story, but it was Gail’s Sunday morning chat with her dad that brought it to mind. Earl had told her that he needed new tires for his car; his code for there is a new car in my future. Earl may be frugal, a certified member of the Greatest Generation, but he also has a thing about cars. A couple of Sundays later Gail passed along the news that her dad had a new car. “Wait till Norm finds out,” he had said. I’m not sure how to respond, hey Earl my tires are looking pretty worn, or waste not want not. They say that Coke adds life, but it’s the Greatest Generation that keeps it interesting.