Cancel Culture, Stop Minding My Business

Years ago if people had a problem with something going on in the world they would voice their opinion and perhaps protest - peacefully. Maybe changes would be made, maybe they wouldn't. But people dealt with it and moved on with their lives. Today, with the advancement of technology and social media, it's so very different that it makes me not want to leave my house. This whole "Cancel Culture" crap is nothing but groups of people minding everyone else's business and it needs to stop.

I do my own thing. I have my own beliefs. I taught my children to think for themselves and to question authority when needed. I've never tried to force my opinions or beliefs onto anyone else, not even my kids. They've always been allowed to make their own choices, unless it was harmful to them or someone else. Now, however, there seems to be a whole lot of individuals and groups of people - mostly Gen Zers and Millennials - who have decided that their opinions are the only ones that matter, and that they know what's best for everybody. I call bullshit!

I'm always being shown videos on social media of people who voice their opinion about a particular subject, regardless of what it may be, and they are adamant that what they think about the subject is the only way to think about it. People respond to the videos voicing their own opinions - some agree and some don't. There are constant vile arguments that take place in the comments regarding whose opinion is the "correct" one and someone, whether the person/group who made the video or a person responding, usually ends up getting banned or suspended just for speaking up about a topic.

My question is this. What gives any of you the right to think you can dictate what the rest of us ought to or ought not be doing or thinking at any given time? Who made you the end-all-be-all of any particular topic of discussion, or of any social issue that might be taking place at the time? And why are you creating issues where there wasn't an issue to begin with?

It doesn't matter where I look - any social media platform, out in public, at my kids' schools - there are individuals, and groups banding together, to put a stop to things they think are the most important and that they believe are harmful to everyone else in the world. Why? When did it become your place to tell us all how to live, what to think, who to believe, and what or who to support or not support?

Don't watch movies with this actor in them because he believes "this" about politics and "our group" thinks it's wrong of him so everybody has to ignore him or, in other words, cancel him. Don't buy this product because the co-creator voiced her opinion on social media and "our" group says she's whatever-phobic and you have to listen to us and cancel her and any products made by, or on behalf of, her.

Don't talk about your preferred religion because it doesn't match "my" beliefs so you need to be cancelled and banned from society and all social media platforms. Don't allow your kids to read these books because "we" have deemed them harmful to their young minds and because "we" said so it must be true, so now the books are being cancelled from any schools and curriculum. Don't attend these concerts because the band's music is disturbing and vile because "our group" says so, so we need to cancel them, too.

Are you fucking kidding me? Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, has a right to their own opinion without it being stepped on by some individual, or by some group, who thinks they are always right and everyone else is always wrong. And just because someone disagrees with you DOES NOT make them whatever -phobic. That's complete bullshit! It just means they have a different opinion. Get over it and move on with your life.

I don't generally mind anyone's business but my own but I did mention to my son a few weeks ago that he might need to follow me around from now on. I'm at a point in my life where I can't take this crap anymore. If I'm in public and I hear someone yelling at someone else because of a difference of opinion - phobic this or phobic that - I can't say I won't jump in and tell accuser off. My son will need to clamp his hand over my mouth and carry me away.

Now you might be saying "That's not minding your own business", and you'd be right. But when I can't go shopping without hearing someone get loud and mouthy because they feel the need to tell someone else that they are wrong for thinking the way they do, the opinionated, mouthy person made it my business, and everyone else's, when they started screaming for all to hear. I have a right to speak up and tell them to shut up at that point.

Many people that I know are actually afraid to speak up these days because they never know who will be standing close by and get "offended" by something that's said, something that probably wasn't even meant for their ears. My own kids have told me that they generally stay out of conversations with classmates because everyone seems to get offended these days over the dumbest shit. That's pretty sad, when you think about it. Not being able to speak up because someone else might cry about it because their sensitive feelings got hurt. Suck it up, Buttercup. Not everyone believes the way you do, and that's okay.

I have always told my kids that there are three kinds of business: your business, the universe's (or God's - however you choose to think about it) business, and other people's business. If you're anywhere other than your own business, you're in the wrong place. So Cancel Culture, why don't you go back to minding your own business and leave the rest of us to live in peace. The world would be a much more pleasant place if you would stop telling the rest of us what to think, how to act, what to believe, what to read, what to watch, who to vote for, what to buy, and anything else you can think of. I'll do me, and you do you, then we'll all be happy.

Until next time...peace to all.

Appreciation Would Be Appreciated

 I've been a garbage truck driver for about a year and a half now and I can tell you that, for all the hard work we drivers and our throwers put in, the lack of customer appreciation sucks. It doesn't matter the weather, we're out there. If it's 100℉ with high humidity or -25℉ in a blizzard, or anywhere in between, it doesn't matter, we're out collecting garbage and a lot of you people don't appreciate it.

Sure, we have some customers who are more than happy to leave us cold water or sodas on hot days, and a few who give us tips at holiday time but a simple thank you would be awesome occasionally. Especially given what we have to collect from the general public. I have five different routes a week and it doesn't matter what kind of neighborhood the route is in, way too many of you people are just plain gross.

Don't get me wrong, I like my job. The pay is good and we get benefits. My thrower is a great guy and we have a lot of fun out on route. I get out and help him, too. He'll put a cart on the tipper and I'll bag out another to speed things up a bit. Or I'll dump the smaller cans and pick up extra bags and cardboard. But the crap, sometimes literally, that we come in contact with would make some people's skin crawl.

We don't understand why it's so difficult for some people to bag their trash. Like, put it in actual garbage bags. Why is it necessary to just dump your household garbage directly into your collection cart? Do you not use bags inside the house? I can't imagine what your kitchen garbage pail looks like since you don't use bags. Not only is it disgusting to have to dump that but if the cart is broken and won't fit on the tipper we have to scoop the garbage into the truck hopper by hand until the cart is light enough to actually lift and dump.

Then there are the people who do bag their garbage but don't tie the bags and then toss them in the cart upside down. Why? Tie the bags, people. It's easier for us to dump it or bag it out if we need to, and it keeps your cart clean. Dirty carts end up with bugs in them in the summertime and sticky the rest of the time. Then loose crap gets stuck to the bottom of the cart and you complain because we didn't completely empty the cart. We're not going to clean your cart for you, that's your job.

There are also the people who toss dog crap straight from their yard into the carts, or dump used cat litter in there. I guess you don't realize that the tipper tosses the trash with force and that stuff flies through the air. We are human beings and don't like getting hit with dog shit and dirty cat litter. Would you? I doubt it. We've also found dead animals loose in the carts, and have also had people pee and crap in their carts. That is just plain disgusting on every level.

On top of all of that, a great many of our customers couldn't care less about our health and safety. On hot or rainy days we do our best to make our pickups as quickly as possible but sometimes we need a break to cool off or wait for a storm to pass. On snowy or icy days there are going to be stops we can't make because customers live on a road that hasn't been plowed or treated and is all ice, or they live on a downhill cul-de-sac where I need to back up. I'm not backing a 50K pound truck downhill on ice or snow. It's dangerous and could cause us to get hurt or damage your property if the truck slides.

Yet you call the office because you got missed that day. No amount of explaining will appease you because "I pay for a service". Yes, you do, but, again, we are human beings and we deserve a little respect. If we had to bypass you this week we'll be back around in a day or two when the roads are clear. If we can't do that, we'll definitely get you next week and pick up everything from the missed week then, as well as the current week.

Not only do you call to complain if we didn't do your pickup because of extenuating circumstances - extreme weather, construction closing your road, emergency vehicles blocking our way to your home, etc. - but you'll lie when you forget to put your cart out on trash day. We're onto you, though. See, our policy is that the carts have to be curbside by 6:00am, or the night before, whichever you prefer. None of us start our routes before 6:00am so when we drive by your house at 6:35am and the cart is up by the garage, I snap a picture of it on my tablet. Then I mark the stop "Not Out". So when you call the office and claim you were missed the customer service ladies can honestly say that we were there at 6:35am but the cart was not curbside by the attached picture. No discount for you. Just be honest, people, and say you forgot. There's no shame in that.

So a few words of advice. Please don't yell at us because your cart has crap stuck to the bottom of the inside because you don't bag your garbage, or throw loose trash in there. Clean the cart. Don't bitch at us because you're garbage wasn't picked up the previous week, just ask us what happened and we'll tell you. Don't threaten to switch companies because we're having a blizzard with sub-zero temperatures and our bosses have decided that it's too cold and dangerous for us to be out driving around in it. Don't put out more than we're allowed to pick up and get angry with us because we can't take it all, there are rules for a reason. And for Pete's sake, stop saying we're "just garbage men/women". We're providing you with a service and we deserve the same respect you want for yourselves. If you see us at your house, simply smile and say, "Thanks for all you do, I really appreciate it." It goes a long way with brightening our day.

Until next time...peace to all.