WHAT A GREAT BRAINSTORMING TRIP TO TENNESSEE!

 

I was feeling stressed about my trash goals.  I needed to figure out what I'm hoping to achieve by picking up a million pieces of trash.  I think best when I drive, so I drove to Tennessee to see my son, Michael, and his wife, Liz.

I got it figured out!  

I know I make a difference when I keep the streets clean in my neighborhood, but I'm just one person.  I need to find more people like me, lots more, but on a smaller scale.  Instead of picking up 3,000 pieces of trash a day on dozens of main streets, I need volunteers who will pledge to pick up a hundred pieces a week and keep one street clean for a year.

If I can organize "Street Leaders" in Akron, Barberton, Wadsworth and Rittman, we can really make a difference, and possibly start something that will go on forever!  Imagine how much that would help Keep Akron Beautiful.  If they didn't have to pick up trash, they could focus on beautifying the city with flowers and trees, signs and more trash cans.

On my drive to Tennessee, I stopped at a Sheetz between Columbus and Cincinnati.  I hated to walk my dogs here!  It was one of the worst messes I've ever seen.

I went inside, and it took 15 minutes for a cashier to take my money for a cup of coffee.  There was only one employee!  No way can they take care of the outside.  They can't even take care of the inside!

I planned on staying at a beautiful B&B, but that didn't work out.  First, it cost way too much after they added the fees, and second, it was too far away from my son's house.

My son reserved a room that was pet friendly at the Best Western Motel.  The room was amazing!  But even better, there was a massive field beside it for the dogs to run . . . and it was clean!  Totally trash free!

This motel is on a very busy street, surrounded by fast food restaurants, retail stores and other motels.  No trash!  How is that possible?  In Akron, a field this size would take me five days to clean! 

If Dayton, Tennessee, can do this, we can do this!

My son has a beautiful house on 16 acres in the mountains.  Every year, he adds more to it.  I was thrilled to see the wrap around porch he built on one side.  (It's amazing what he can do from watching YouTube videos!)

One year, for my birthday, he was visiting, and he asked me what I wanted.  I told him I wanted him to help me pick up trash.  He thought that was really strange, but he went out with me, and I think he really enjoyed it!  He kept trying to see how many pieces he could pick up at one time.

When he got home, he bought a trash grabber, and he keeps his property clean.  There wasn't one piece of trash anywhere!  I'm so proud of him! 

I drove home today, and I stopped at the rest area between Cincinnati and Columbus, and I saw this guy picking up trash.  I asked him if I could take a picture for my blog.  He pulled his hood down so we could see his face.  He was such a nice guy!

I asked him if he worked for ODOT.  He said no.  His name is Chet, and he works for a company called, Cleaners Extrordinare, and he was just promoted to assistant manager.   He is paid to pick up trash every day.  

How amazing is that?  So that's why this rest stop was spotless!