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Column: Something About Nothing

It is time to talk trash — as in garbage, not as in the kind of talking trash that is a result of speaking disparagingly, insultingly or abusively about a person or a group.

We seem to accumulate a lot of trash in our lives. Trash not only can be refuse we throw away in our garbage cans, but it also can be the stuff in our lives that we internalize that keeps us from moving on to be a better person. Perhaps the internal trash causes us to build up the external and material trash that can envelope our homes and yards.

Television features shows such as “Hoarders,” “Animal Hoarders” and “Hoarders, Buried Alive.” These shows focus on helping those who are overwhelmed by material stuff in their homes. Most of the time there is underlying emotional issues that keep these people locked into a battle with their stuff.

It costs money to get rid of our garbage. We have to pay for garbage bags, Dumpsters and pay a fee for garbage collectors to remove our waste. Recycling has become very popular. I must admit I want to be a better recycler. I think it would be easier for me and the people in my community to be better recyclers if we had curb pickup as some communities do. Because of busy schedules it sometimes seems to be easier to throw instead of recycle.

We hear of Dumpster divers in bigger cities. People check out Dumpsters because they are hungry or homeless or because there is treasure to be found in Dumpsters like those made available by Dumpster Rental Salem NH. Remember one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

It occurred to me recently that the cost of getting rid of our garbage is maybe a hardship on some people who are struggling with job loss and low incomes.

The reason it occurred to me is the stories I have heard recently from people who have Dumpsters. These Dumpster renters must keep them locked or unknown gremlins fill up their Dumpster with trash. The gremlins visit in the middle of the night and sneak to the Dumpster and deposit their garbage. When the owner of the Dumpster wants to deposit their garbage the Dumpster is full.

Are the gremlins dumping their garbage in someone’s Dumpster because they cannot afford to get rid of their garbage or are they dumping their trash in someone else’s Dumpster because they do not want to spend their money to get rid of their trash?

Could these gremlins think it is not harming anyone? Could dumping trash in someone else’s Dumpster without their permission be considered theft? After all someone else is paying for the Dumpster.

I do have a Dumpster diving story. A few years ago at a place of employment where I worked, we went to deposit our trash and our Dumpster was full. A co-worker was irritated that this was always happening and decided to do a little Dumpster diving and came up with bills and receipts from the gremlin who dumped their garbage in our Dumpster in the middle of the night. These receipts also happened to have a name and phone number on them. We called the name and phone number and asked them to come and pick up their garbage. In fact, I think we might have delivered it back to them. Needless to say the gremlin never visited our Dumpster again in the middle of the night.

Yes, it is time to talk trash. Whoops! I think I just did.

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send e-mail to her at thecolumn@bevcomm.net. Her blog is paringdown.wordpress.com. Listen to KBEW AM radio 1:30 p.m. Sundays for “Something About Nothing.”