12-23-2020 Five Reasons to Be Hopeful This Wednesday

December 23, 2020

Rediscovered an old plastic thing we bought years ago. We thought we needed it. Now we will keep and cherish it, FOREVER.

December 23, 2020

by drplasticpicker

I absolutely cannot believe it’s Wednesday again, and I cannot believe Christmas is in two days. I had chatted with an old high school friend a few days ago, gathering donations for Toys 4 Tots, and she mentioned that someone told her that “it’s okay to be off.” Dr. Plastic Picker completely agrees. It is absolutely okay to be OFF, and this Christmas everyone is a bit OFF. Case in point, the kids have no desire to decorate our thrice-handed down artificial tree with their hand-made school ornaments that I’ve always cherished. It’s one of those moments that I love and always post some pictures on Facebook. They were into making the Gingerbread House which looked like someone vomited on it, but not the tree. Tells you something about being a tween/teen, and the state of their dystopian minds. I tell you, their generation is different – very dystopian and I think very much due to the state of the planetary ecologic collapse.

But they know their mother, me Dr. Plastic Picker, is trying to save the world. Literally, still trying to save the world. Of course there is much more hope now that Biden/Harris are coming into the White House. But long ago when I started this journey, I had the stark realization of how dire the climate crisis is and that it is going to take all of us picking up plastic, trying to be vegetarian/vegan/plant-based, or whatever it is that is our strength to save the earth. I committed to a decade of climate action about 1.5 years ago, and I’m still committed.

My only ask of the world is allow me to do it in my own meandering and stream of consciousness way, very much like how I approach litter-picking and trash art. I had no idea when I began this journey how letting out my creative self would help me so much continue to heal myself, and give me power to try to heal the earth.

Above is an old plastic light-box I absolutely thought I NEEDED because my sister had a fancier one in her home in Virginia. I found it yesterday and the battery acid had leaked out, and Mr. Plastic Picker’s father helped me clean it. The batteries were replaced and with only half the letters available, I was able to make a makeshift sign for the kitchen table that absolutely annoyed my husband, Mr. Plastic Picker. He was crunching on his popcorn well after everyone had been done eating with the sign looking at him. Our daughter wanted to put that sign up and I was just following her wishes. He still ate the popcorn even with the backlit message. It was one of those little quiet family moments that really make us a family.

So my Five Reasons to Be Hopeful this Wednesday before Christmas, 12-23-2020, is that what makes Christmas special this year has absolutely nothing to do with consumerism.

Hope for the COVID-19 Vaccine: There is hope for the COVID-19 Vaccine for our family. It sounds like sometime in January both Mr. Plastic Picker and I may get the vaccine. This eases our minds because we have Mr. Plastic Picker’s mother who is in her 80s now and diabetic.
Gingerbread House: We got a free kit from our HMO and there was hardly any plastic. We recycled most things. The kids put it together and they had a lot of fun, and the house made them house laugh and it was christmassy.
Toys 4 Tots Donation: We donated new toys that were very nice that we had around the house still. The kids realized these essentially new plushies were better used brightening someone else’s life. For just $35 Mr. Plastic Picker and I were able to buy at least five new “toys” that were nonplastic. We got paint canvasses, art books and wooden puzzles. This is the first time we’ve ever donated to Toys 4 Tots and for various reasons it was a beautiful experience.
Letters to the Local Senior Center: Our daughter’s Girl Scout Troop participated in a letter writing campaign to brighten up the spiritis of the local senior center. We had done service projects there in the past so there was already a sense of connection to that group. She wrote 5 letters and it lifted her spirits knowing that she helped in a small way reach out to lonely seniors.
Christmas Cards: We sent out Christmas cards for the first time in 15 years. I reached out to friends that we havne’t contacted in so long. It was so easy and printed out on recycled card stock. We’ll definitely do this again.

I’ll decorate the tree later this morning. We are together as a family and that is really all we can ask for. Oh yes, of course also for a breatheable atmosphere! I’m only on bag #9 for the month and I’m supposed to do #20 bags a month. I need to catch up today. I’m OFF today and not getting paid. I just may stay truly OFF and set a good example for the department.