Clean up after yourselves

Well Hello again my friends

Part two of my series is here even though part 1 which is “Common Decency” didn’t get much likes or comments. “Common Decency” is disappointed because I thought I was blogging on a topic that others can relate to. I guess I was wrong. Here comes part 2. Will I get the same response? Quite possible. Am I here only for the likes? Absolutely not. My message is clear. We should always clean up after ourselves.

They say “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Even though this saying is nowhere mentioned in the Bible or any other biblical teaching sources that I know of, I tend to adopt it and believe it rings true to every word. Listen, cleanliness is good practice. Whatever you do in your spare time or in the comfort of your home or space is one thing. How you act in a public settings is another and of the utmost importance. No man is an island. No man owns it all. Each person is responsible for his/her contribution to personal hygiene and cleanliness to our environment and respect for each other.

Let me mention that I had the dubious honor to be in the same restaurant twice this year while the Health Department was giving them an inspection. What are the odds to witness this in the same year and in different type of eatery on different time of the day? My ears and eyes were wide open to witness what the inspector has to say relating to these stores..and did I hear a mouthful. I was even sitting closer to hear the conversation the second time around. I won’t mention the stores or what they talked about, but it’s been shocking what the Health Department’s reason for inspecting and grading these stores. It’s public. These stores bring service to the public via food and beverages. We expect the food to be prepared with cleanliness in mind. But is it done so regularly. Who knows. Here comes the Health Department.

Just because these restaurants are inspected regularly, they do not get inspected everyday. Not sure if they are following the rules with heart felt mannerisms or just to get a better letter grade.

Now to the employees of these restaurants. Why do they post signs for you to wash hands. This freaks me out seeing these signs posting in restaurant establishments. Isn’t it not common decency and good hygiene practices to wash up before preparing food and other means to the public. I guess these rules are made as a reminder which is scary to know what used to happen in the past? God forbids.

I have seen signs in rest areas and pantries through the workplace where employees and others are giving strict rules and conducts and in some instances, creative ways in asking everyone to clean up after themselves.

In public places as well. Receptacles are place with signs telling the public to use them.

I still see men using rest rooms without washing their hands. You may wonder, since the pandemic, everyone would be more cautious to how they clean up. Obviously not everyone.

Talking about the pandemic. Instructions on how to wash your hands were everywhere. Sanitizers were scarce, the wearing of masks were mandated. This was in lieu for everyone to work together in the wake of the pandemic to further stop the spreading of the virus. Littering may not be the threat to spreading diseases, but, it can further increase the spread of rodents and many other annoying and deadly insects.

My thoughts on hygiene and cleanliness and the lack thereof, is based on mental issues with people in general. I watched people leaving trash on the bench or table where they sit and eat while the receptacles are within a few feet from them. In the subways and buses as well. Some people refuse to clean up after themselves. Wrappings are tossed on the streets without the care of looking for a bin to toss it in. I watched over the years. I watched some more since being on the road more these days. It is still happening today.

Some of the factors affecting our big cities on personal hygiene and cleanliness are right under our noses. Homelessness, mental state of others, drugs, alcohol and medication. Some may even have a “don’t care” attitude to everyone around them… some belief they have entitlement. Others belief rules don’t apply to them and the list goes on.

Here is my other crazy reason behind all the littering and poor hygiene. I blame technology. The more technology advances, the lazier the people becomes. Some are too busy on social media so that nothing else really mattered. The simple thing as looking for a bin to toss the trash becomes too hard to stomach. Looking for a bin takes away social media and the internet time away from them. It’s another form of addiction. “Chasing the dollar” is another. Some are too consumed in their jobs and businesses to even think of tidying up.

I can continue forever on this topic but I guess I will leave room for another time. Need to mention that I feel guilty whenever I missed tossing trash into a receptacle. Guilty enough to turn back around to toss it in properly. I can now able to get back to a normal life knowing I did my part for tidying up and to blog about this. Cleaning up is part of me. This is not limited to where I live or work. If it’s public, leaving it clean for the next person.

I hope I get a better response this time.

To your health

AP.