My mind works in strange ways sometimes. I'm okay with that. It's probably from hanging out with Dorito for so long, and besides, you guys still love me. (Note: any sass in the comments section will be promptly deleted.)This morning, before work, I was driving Nolan to daycare and we stopped at the four-way stop where we turn north. There's a gas station there. While I waited at the corner, I looked at the sign and gas was 76.9 cents a litre - down a bit from yesterday. And then I thought, what will happen to kids' toys after the oil is gone? I know. Strange. But, it is Christmas and I've got toys on the brain.
Later at work, McDuff was showing me the Little Princess doll that the daughter of another co-worker will be receiving at the company Christmas party. I told her about my drive past the gas station and she looked at me, well, kind of oddly. I'm okay with that too. (Guess I'm used to it. :-)) And she said, "You've got to blog that." Hmmm...
Not too many years ago, I had no problem going out and picking out toys, toys and more toys. But now, thanks to both this world of blogs and the books I've read recently, I pay a little more attention to my choices. And I'm finding it more difficult to buy. You know - the kids don't need this; they've got so much that they don't play with anyway. A growing awareness of North American consumerism. A need to simplify. Less stuff. Less plastic.
Did you know that plastic is made from oil? Don't worry if you didn't. A survey last year found that 72% of Americans didn't know that either. Walk down the toy aisles of any dept store and what are most of the toys made of? Plastic, right? As a matter of fact, walk down any aisle in just about any store and you're going to find a lot of plastic. It's Christmas, and I've started walking the aisles. Which brings me back to the gas station.
The price of gas is down right now. I doubt there are many out there who aren't glad for that. But the price isn't going to stay there. It's going to go up. Guaranteed. And as oil supplies are depleted, things will change. That too is guaranteed. It's not just plastic toys that are going to disappear. Our way of life will too. And we have to figure out how we're going to manage it.
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I found this little gem today. It's apparently a Saudi saying: My father rode a camel. I drive a car. My son flies a jet plane. His son will ride a camel.
~Liz
8 comments:
SASS!
hmmm maybe when the toys are gone the children will actually have to use their IMAGINATIONS and think for themselves! I've noticed throughout the years that most children do not have one original thought in their head, they need to be told how to play and what to play with. On the school playground they just stand around doing nothing. There have been plenty of times when my children have invented a game (so that they don't die of boredom), and the next thing you know half the school is playing it. So, no more plastic toys, maybe not such a bad thing.
Anonymous - smart-sass. I'll let this one go...this time.
Hey Cookie; how's it going?
I'm with you. I actually don't think the loss of plastic toys will be a bad thing, either. It would do the kids some good to use their brains; eventually it will mean adjustment, though. And, let's face it, our kids aren't going to face the loss of plastic toys (although, their children may) and something's going to take its place anyway. But, when you look around, there's a lot of stuff made from plastic. Not to mention all the stuff with fossil fuels in it that we don't even know about.
Did you know aspirin contains fossil fuels? I know you don't take that stuff, but a lot of people do. Shampoo? I didn't know that until I bought some that said 'petroleum free' on the label. Check this out:
http://www.oildepletionprotocol.org/getinformed/oilchemicalsandplastics
So, not only are we putting it onto and into our bodies now, but down the road, when there's no oil left, what replaces it? Makes me wonder what our lives will look like. (Laura Ingalls anyone?)
See? Told you my mind works in weird ways.
Forget the toys. Why is the diesel price so much higher than gasoline?
This is killing me, I tells ya!
I don't know, Dorito. Want a cookie?
Nope. Not enough nuts in your cookie.
No, it's the nuts that make the cookies.
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