Progress

Today I had to laugh. It was that or light my hair on fire.

I work in a downtown San Francisco office and have been greening us up a bit. We buy paper that is partially recycled that we primarily use only to recycle again. Instead of plastic utensils we have knives, forks and spoons made of corn products that are biodegradable. Our paper towels are also made of recyclable material and instead of buying brand name snack almonds in the cans or honey bears from Safeway we buy them from the farmers' market.

We recycle cans, plastic, bottles, toner cartridges, batteries and cardboard boxes. We have a dedicated person to call catalog companies and have our name removed from their lists. Another person does it for unsolicited faxes.

I bought everyone in the office organic cotton canvas bags in two convenient sizes to use instead of carrying pink or white plastic bags back to the office. Only the one unmarried young man politely declined.

But we have a ten year tradition of keeping the great orange plastic pumpkin infinitely full of individually wrapped candy.

Today our candy person asked for the credit card to fill up the great orange plastic pumpkin. I wrestled for the hundredth time looking for an alternative to miniature Butterfingers, Snickers, Nestles Crunch. To Reese's. And knew I was beat.

"Have fun," I said handing her the card and watching her leave.

She had her large size natural organic cotton bag with her.

I laughed, "This is progress," I said to myself. "Right?"