In Honor of Earth Day

Ah Earth Day, the day we use to engage non-greenies into the more environmentally-friendly world. What did I do for Earth Day?

I took the bus/BART down to Millbrae to meet my dad for lunch, an hour long trip that would be 1/2 hour by car. Of course, my dad drove from San Mateo to Millbrae to pick me up, then drove us down to San Mateo to eat (because apparently you can't eat in Millbrae?) then decided he would drive me home so I would not have to deal with the public transit. Trust me, there is no point in arguing. Meaning he then had to drive back home to San Mateo.

What I'm wondering is why he didn't just come to the City in the first place if he was going to drive here anyway, saving me at least an hour of my day. I mean, I really should do some work.

And also, why is it so difficult to change your family's values? I think I would have better success convincing any single person I met on the street to make an environmental change than I would with my parents. In fact I know this, because I have tried with my parents. And often failed. Yes, they recycle, and we have done so for as long as I can remember, probably because Michigan has had a bottle deposit for years. They also have fake grass in the backyard, mostly because my dad got tired of mowing the lawn. And my mom often brings her reusable bags that Karen and I got her to the grocery store. But that is about where the greenness stops.

I don't think I can even convince them to buy a front-loading washer for their brand new "villa", because they won't be paying the water or energy bills, so they have no monetary incentive. And I certainly can't convince them to drive less. They think public transit is a burden for me, when I often do it because I prefer it to driving.

Anyway, today I did take a cowboy shower. That is my pathetic little earth day celebration. And tonight we are going to a preview of Ken Burns' upcoming documentary, "National Parks: America's Best Idea." (Obviously we'll get there on the bus.)

And that is my earth day. How is yours?