Don’t forget to put the bins out!
I read that line in my neighbourhood’s community FB group on Sunday afternoon. It had been 18 days since the street’s household waste bins were last emptied. Due to a vital change of bin collection day by the council.
27 hours later, the loaded – some to overflowing – bins on the pavements were still full. On checking the purveyor of Local News for Local People (aka The Local Journal online) it was reported that ‘pay negotiations collapsed between bin-men and council’ and there is now a city bin strike going on. This means it could be at least another 14 days before bins are emptied.
This might well be viewed as disappointing, irritating, smelly, inconvenient and question the point of paying Council Tax.
On the bright side, it means we will all compost more, eat leftovers, waste less and for those of us lucky enough to have gardens and forgiving neighbours, build bonfires. It is also good for local children and pets who will be able inspect rodents as they scavenge and learn about how nasty odours are ‘good for the appetite’*
**This last statement about bad smells improving one’s appetite was instilled in me during my childhood spent on a farm where chicken manure – the WORST smell ever – was traditionally spread on the fields on the hottest day of the year to help the crops grow. I also spent a lot of time inspecting rodents back then.
Everything is a matter of mindset:
- I live with my cat. Cat food is very expensive and mice and rats will be a welcome delicacy for my feline friend.
- The cat and I can now take joint responsibility for household waste and how much food we buy, or scavenge.
- I have nice neighbours so we might be able to build a community bonfire to burn rubbish – which will keep us warm and also save money on gas central heating – a growing luxury for most of us now.
- My neighbourhood is but a microcosm of our global multi-layered society which can only survive if there is unity, compassion and peace.
- Other people in the world are struggling to stay alive. I thank my lucky stars for having a safe home and a cat to cuddle.
- Humour is often the best way to face the absurdity of living.
If you require my writing services or coaching through your own transitional moment – or if you need some handy household tips on rubbish disposal – please contact me.
“Humour allows the suffering of the bourgeois world to be bearable and productive.” Steppenwolf; Hermann Hesse ( – my cat’s current bedtime reading )