"A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels".
- Albert Einstein
Yesterday, we received a call from the executive director of a community thrift operation in St. Louis, MO. What began as a discussion about providing gently used shoes to their thrift stores, we focused on the group’s efforts to heal the city from the Ferguson riots and racial discord that erupted nearly two years ago by providing sport shoes to the local teens. Presently, the plan is to have local police had out sport shoes to the local teens as a means of building trust and confidence. The city and local region is still reeling from these events and so much needs to be done to restore a sense of humanity and trust. Sometimes, it is a simple conversation like this that reminds us that we are part of the larger picture. And yet, this is a very local connection that is meaningful. The simple connection between two people is an essential element to sustainability and serves as the foundation for much of what is possible. To my thinking, these local and personal efforts are part of a larger sustainability that we embrace when we talk about people recycling for people. The inherent humanity of that connection is powerful and is part of the effort to restore and maintain sustainability. Reuse is the bridge.
EINSTEIN ALSO WAS QUOTED WITH THE FOLLOWING:
“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the ‘Universe’ —a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feelings, as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”