by Laura Guelfi

Created on: November 25, 2008

"Waste not, want not," my mom always said. I can still hear her words ringing in my ears anytime I scrape leftover food into the trash can. The truth is, we Americans live in a land of bounty. We have so much- too much, in fact- that many times we don't know what to do with all of our "stuff." Our closets are packed with clothes we never wear, our kitchens are overloaded with food that will expire before use, and our garages are crammed with tools and gadgets that merely collect dust. What is it about our society that makes us think we have to have it all? I believe that our impatience, our concern about appearances, and our desire to please our children are all contributing factors to wastefulness in our country.

First of all, we Americans are driven to waste because of our impatience. We want what we want, and we want it NOW! We feel we have so much to accomplish in a day's time, so we expect the line at the bank to move like the line at the fast food joint. And heaven forbid that traffic light turn red before we can squeeze through. Everyone is in such a toe-tapping rush to do more, earn more, buy more, and have more, that we don't seem to care about anything else. A good dose of patience just might help us realize how much of our life is wasted on trivial activities.

Not only does our impatience contribute to wastefulness, but also our concern about appearance . It's the old "Keepin' Up With the Joneses" Syndrome. The neighbor purchases a new Ford Expedition (which he probably can't afford). He washes it faithfully every Saturday morning, making sure he leaves his garage door up so that everyone can see his John Deere lawn mower. Not to be outdone, we decide we want a new car, too. We visit the Chevrolet dealership, and for just 72 payments of $545, we trade in our old Saturn for a shiny, new Chevy Tahoe. The neighbors don't have to know that we have no clue how we're going to pay for it. We waste countless dollars per year on material possessions, just in an attempt to make ourselves look good. If we could somehow swallow our pride and truly live within our means, we could become much more productive and less wasteful.

Somewhat similar to our concern about appearance, we also waste because of our desire to please our children. Let's face it- we have turned our little angels into spoiled brats. We want them to have all of the toys and trinkets that we didn't have as kids. But by giving them everything they want, are we causing them to miss out on some of life's most important lessons such as thankfulness, responsibility, and respect? Most American kids have more toys than Toy Story, yet they still want more. They never learn to be thankful for what they have because we are constantly giving them the latest and greatest of everything. We waste money that we don't have just to buy them what they really don't need.

It's time to take a step back and consider how our own impatience, our own concern about appearance, and our own desire to please our children are contributing to wastefulness in our society. By being patient, we can take the time to realize what is really important in our lives. We will also find ourselves with a little more money in our pockets once we stop worrying about how we appear to others. And our kids will learn valuable life lessons once we decide not to give them all their little hearts desire. "Waste not, want not." Maybe what my mom kept saying all those years really was true. Let's stop wasting so we don't find ourselves wanting.

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