I don't know about anyone else, but my contributions to the
refuse bins have been noticeably lighter lately. Consciously,
I know that the soda cap collection has been concluded, but
subconsciously, I'm still saving them on the shelf.
Calcium consumption has increased since the latest fad has
caught on: accumulating covers of dairy yogurts. I was
blissfully unaware of this latest race until one of my
granchildren came upon me clearing the breakfast table. I had
innocently discarded what I assumed were disposable items,
not potential keys to a treasure chest. There was a rush to
the pail where the flimsy covers were retrieved with a
relieved sigh. One doesn't get much breathing space.
No sooner have we recovered from the cornflakes box
collection than we're being bombarded by Bamba bags. It has
become a time-consuming, as well as space consuming project:
mailing merchandise, filling out forms and traveling to pick
up prizes... again and again. "The supply has run out. Please
come back tomorrow between 4:00 and 4:27." "The man in charge
isn't in. Come back tomorrow about 6:15." Not a.m. (but
sometimes I wonder when they DO have a supply.) Before
today's scavenger hunt has ended, tomorrow's is booked solid!
Should anyone ever be bored in Israel, very unlikely, these
contagious contests are famous for their feverishly desperate
deadlines. It keeps the adults on their toes and insures that
the children become quite calendar conscious.
I've also lightened the load for the sanitation workers by
eliminating potato, cucumber, squash and carrot peels. These
are designated in a separate bag for the benefit of a
gentleman rabbit called Honey Bunny who lives next door.
These hoarding habits gradually become ingrained. To this
day, I can't eat an apricot and simply discard the pit
without visualizing the faces of grief- stricken
grandchildren. Years ago, we had the dubious distinction of
being the proud possessors of a considerable collection of
more than 1,000 pits (adjuim/gogoim). This was a
source of a great deal of innocent pleasure for my sons and a
particular favorite of the ant population in the immediate
vicinity. [Then I discovered that these pits promote the
gambling urge in kids...]
Nu, so who needs a garbage disposal unit?
