It probably has something to do with the fact that he didn't take environmental science at Wheaton. My life will never be the same after taking that class. I can't imagine that the professor was older than 30 but she still managed to use her life experience to make me feel guilty for everything from taking a bath to washing my hands too long. I can still hear her voice when I start the shower and then realize I have to pee. "Should I turn the shower off or just try to pee really fast? Maybe I should just pee in the shower. Dangit, now I've just wasted gallons of water trying to decide!" I still get panic attacks thinking about her diagrams of all the dried up fresh water reservoirs and how my children will have to figure out a way to make salt water usable. Whoever that woman is, she deserves some kind of award for her guilt inducing impact on the environment and the thousands of students who come through her doors.
I just had a similar conversation with friends. I have those kinds of deep convictions about things stemming back from first grade when we learned not to leave the lights on when we leave a room. My friends don't remember having that kind of focus in elementary school; I think it's because they didn't grow up in the NW and probably didn't have as many environmentalists in the teaching force as we did.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Thom leaves the water running when he brushes his teeth and he grew up in Portland. Maybe some of us just care more...or just feel guilt easier. :)
Though not absolutely, definitely a much more Northwesterner guilt...I am often 'reminding' Patrick of what gets recycled and what gets thrown out :).
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