I am Feeling So Proud Of Myself

I am so proud of myself! I actually remembered to use my eco-friendly grocery bags yesterday!

[Insert dream-like music and fuzzy fade-out to six months ago]

I did the honorable thing and purchased half a dozen "eco friendly" shopping bags at my local grocery store. I don't really buy the "Global Warming" effect seeing as there are an awful lot of controversial things that have me doubting it; like the fact that in the 70's there was the big global cooling "we're going to have an ice age!" panic, along with countless articles from scientists who spout anti-global warming criticisms. However, I do think it is important to take care of the environment that we live in; hence the bag purchase.

Early on in my oh so admirable re-usable bag endeavor, I made it a habit to put them neatly back in my car once I had divested them of my purchases. That rule came about with the first use of my new bags when while unpacking them I had an irritating vision of leaving them behind, stacked somewhere in my kitchen, and thus being party to filling landfills the world over with those nasty, earth-hating plastic grocery sacks. I have since been very proud of myself for this thoughtful routine.

[Insert dreamy music again and fast forward to the present]

I can blame my busier-than-ever job, or the fact that I have traveled for work and pleasure a good bit of 2008 and have lost my shopping rhythm, or maybe just put it down to a bad memory, but every time I've hauled my cart up to the checkout counter in the last two or three months, I've realized I forgot my bags...in the car. By then it is too late. What am I going to say while the checker is ringing up my stuff? "Oh, excuse me. Can you wait 10 minutes while I run out to my car in the back 40 and find my eco-friendly bags?" No. That would make me look stupid. Or maybe I should have just asked them to just dump all my stuff in the cart without any bags at all. No. Then people would think I'm stealing if I wheeled the buggy out looking like I had just been on a game show (no bags at all). So the checker dumps everything into those tiny, awful, guilt-laden plastic bags and I kick myself all the way to the car where I see my nice green bags waiting for me the minute I open my trunk. Man I can be stupid sometimes.

Well, yesterday I remembered. I think the key was that I wasn't in a hurry for a change. I meandered to the store. I patiently found a parking spot out in the back 40. I cautiously opened my door, taking care not to bang the car next to me, and then actually remembered to get the bags out! I selected three from my neat stack (I do keep them neat) and nearly burst a button while walking through the parking lot towards the front door. I almost did a "neener, neener!" as I passed the stand offering eco-friendly shopping bags by the bananas.

Maybe I'm not a lost cause yet, but time will tell.