Giving the word “value” true meaning again

Society has fallen into a detrimental habit of overlooking value.

If we cannot see value in objects, it’s no wonder why we cannot treat people with respect, because how we treat people is revealed in how much care we take care of our things. If something no longer works or we think is significant, we toss it.

I’ll give you a few personal examples. I buy farm eggs just because my personal belief is it is healthier when it comes directly from the source. But whenever the egg cartons get empty, I save them for the next time I return to the lady I buy them from. My mom, who is the cleanest person you will never meet, complains about the buildup and clutter on how the ugly cartons look on top of my refrigerator. But you know what? That farmer’s wife expresses her gratitude to me for giving them back to her since she so often runs out.

If you or others can use it, don’t throw it away.

I have an acquaintance who wraps wine bottles with twine and further decorates them with colorful buttons, letters, and other fun objects she finds. I usually have at least four bottles for her every six weeks. The place I live at does not recycle glass bottles, so I think if I can help her business, I’m doing a good thing.

I’m not a mechanic and I’m not a car fanatic. I don’t know how well the Buick I used last week ran or how old it was. What I do know, from my boyfriend who works on cars when he is not trucking the road, is that Buicks are so common and so are their parts that they are barely worth anything. But it’s the whole concept.

Last week, when I saw the bent up doors, the broken windows, the torn up back seats that eventually sat near the front seats – I felt saddened and angered inside. It’s only a Buick, but I imagine at one point it meant something to someone.

If we don’t see the value of things, we will see more of an economic toll on the country. We need to change this thinking before it’s too late.

Back to what I said about relationships; we don’t like when someone doesn’t respect our rights or who we are as people but then we turn around and do the same thing. How is that making a positive difference in the world? If we don’t get to know more people and we go on the assumptions that are made, we are not learning their value. What do we or others gain when we ignore the effect of our actions, no matter how big or small?

Even though I’m busy taking classes and tackling the homework involved, pursuing my dreams, and keeping up with the daily life demands, I go visit my grandparents. I try to make it twice a month at least but sometimes it’s just once, to see how they are doing. They will not be here forever, yet they want to know they’re valued and cared about, just like the Buick.