Litter Bug

The other day, I took a walk around a pond by our apartment, to breathe the fresh air, listen to the birds, and watch the ducks fight over algae. It was a beautiful, natural, spring day, and all was well with the world. As I rounded the corner, I spotted a young boy, perhaps eleven years old, sitting on a bench. When he thought no one was looking, he threw his empty pop can into the woods and scuttled off on his electric scooter. I had a very strong urge to run after him and tell him to pick it up but figured that would just make me look ridiculous. But I was seriously upset about it.

What is wrong with kids these days? It wasn't so much the littering that irked me, but the boy's obvious laziness. Sure, he can carry a full pop can around, which is much more cumbersome than an empty one, but once it's empty, he sees no need to carry it to the closest trash can. Which, I might add, is a mere half-block away. 

And a motorized scooter? I think that is one of the stupidest inventions. The point of a scooter is to give kids a fun way to exercise while they're playing outside. Already, kids spend more time indoors playing video and computer games. Why make the outdoors just as ineffective as the indoors? It's no wonder obesity runs rampant in this country.

To be honest, I'm really nervous to have a child of my own. How will I motivate him to play outside and use his imagination when all his friends are doing the opposite? How will I protect her from the dangers and addictions of the internet? How will I entice them to read quality books when televisions and hundreds of other gadgets steal their attention?

I suppose I'll be considered one of those "uncool" moms, but at least, I won't have breathing vegetables on my hands. What a world we live in.