Coffee Break with the Barista
March 2009
It’s
interesting to me the large number of people that live on my street
that recycle—just as interesting, the number of people that don’t. I
had been in the “don’t” category far too long. Actually, more than 20
years ago, I was a serious recycler—plastic, paper, glass and aluminum.
Then I read an article that explained problems of recycling—the
majority of what I had been collecting and carting to a large recycling
center wasn’t actually being recycled. I felt betrayed. All those years
of effort, dashed away in one article.
Since then, I had been
reluctant to use my time and energy to rinse, store and recycle stash.
And in my mild embarrassment over not setting my “red box” on the curb
each week, I decided to do some research. As it turns out, recycling
has come a long way over the past 20 years. On page 6 you will find two
articles that address this vital issue: Green Children and The
Economics of Going Green.
Over the past several of months, not
a day has gone by that I haven’t hear talk about the current economic
situation. Yet I cannot help but wonder what each of us could do to
turn this situation around. Diane Sanford, Ph.D., addresses this issue
head-on in her article titled, Getting Through Hard Times on the following page. Dr. Sanford’s wisdom and compassion guide each of her articles for Java Journal. Thank you, Dr. Sanford.
When
I was in college, one of my professors said that good communication is
as important, if not more important, than brain surgery. Well, the
wheels of thought began to turn quickly in his students. In fact I’ve
thought about that statement many times over the years and I would
agree—nearly all of the situations I can think of could benefit from
improved communication. And each time I fail to exercise my best
communication skills, in my regret I remember the words of my
professor. The best that each of us can do is to remind our selves of
the importance of clear and effective communication before we utter our
next sentence. Joe Pfeffer, Ph.D., has written an article titled,
Collaborate and Reflect (page 8) that teaches us ways of communicating
more effectively and empathetically for improved relationships. Thank
you, Dr. Pfeffer.
You know, we love hearing from you—your
thoughts, well wishes, favorite stories, story ideas, etc. Or just say
hi. Email me at info@javajournalonline.com, or send a note to me at
11116 South Towne Square, Ste. 102, St. Louis, MO 63123. I’m looking
forward to hearing from you.
Kindly,
Marian Rein