Appreciating What I Have

I rarely stop during my day just to think about how thankful I really am. I feel like people do not realize how privileged they really are. As people say, you never know how good something is until it’s gone. I notice things such as waste everyday that represents people not knowing how good they have it. Particularly I notice food and water waste everyday.

Wasting bottles of water is one thing that I see the most. I go to class, the gym and different places where I see half-empty, and sometimes almost full, bottles of water lying around. The amount of water that is wasted just by people who leave their bottles around could possibly fill gallons of water jugs. This is just one of the many ways that people can waste water. Other ways include extremely long showers, washing dishes, and brushing teeth with the water running.

There are simple ways to save water when you go about your daily life. For example, try to reduce the time that you are in the shower. Showers are meant for the purpose of washing rather than relaxing. A great way to relax that would reduce waste on water is a warm bubble bath instead. Another form of water waste is brushing your teeth with the water running at the same time. Washing dishes with the water running is also an example of excessive water waste. The best way to wash a sink full of dishes and not waste a lot of water is to fill the sink with clean, soapy water and let the dishes sit for a moment. Then the dirt and grime can wash off a bit easier and you won’t have to run hot water over your dishes for a long period of time.

As if water waste isn’t enough, we waste food as well. Food waste is just as bad as water waste. One prime example of this waste is buffet-style restaurants. Don’t get me wrong; I do enjoy eating in buffets. You can get as much as you want at an affordable price. However, many people realize that their eyes are bigger than their stomachs when they’ve gotten their third helping of food. Realizing they are not able to finish it, they leave their tips and go on about their day. There were many occasions where I would see all of the tables around me with plates full of uneaten food. It could be enough to feed multiple families.

A good way to reduce food waste is portion control. We look at everything a buffet has to offer and want to try it all. But doing this is a sure way to grab one too many things to put on your plate. Smaller portions and eating slower will be enough to satisfy you for one meal. If not, it is okay to grab seconds, but be sure that you have room for more.

I can’t help but think about a child somewhere who’s hungry or thirsty when I waste water and food. It’s not a good feeling. I begin to think about the children they show on commercials. People say that these commercials are overplayed and dramatized, but these commercials are real and true. There are children going without food and we have so much of it to waste. As a whole, it’s time that we realize this and be thankful for what we have.