Carbon Footprints

A footprint can have many meanings. This cross gives us hope and comfort. But our family would much rather have another day with our dad.

When I think of carbon footprints, it reminds of tracking mud on my mother's clean floor.

Our mothers had a way of leaving a lasting impression on our backsides when we were careless about leaving tracks on their clean floors.

Measuring your carbon footprints seems to affect everyone's entire way of life these days. Even shipping a package requires an answer of yes or no to the question of contributing a dollar to offset the your carbon footprint.

My friend Susan would have said, this is a bunch of hooey. Our real concern should be how we impact others by our own behavior and how closely we walk with Jesus.

My question is why should someone profit from our existence? And how is it that we have gone through life without wasting water, food and resources and can still be taxed for of being alive.

Do you really think that when we die, St. Peter will be standing at the pearly gates with your carbon footprint score?

I propose that we just take an inventory of ourselves and how our lives are going so far. Have we been kind in our daily walk? Are we useful? Are we mindful of how much we were blessed in the past 24 hours? And did we say thank-you?

We cannot tax someone into being good. Nor can we legislate morality. Some issues just come down to plain common sense and humility. Our hearts should always be open and filled with love.

It is only when we can be personally generous in every aspect of our lives, that we are able to expand our understanding as to how God views us and our fellow man.

Now I suppose that I sound preachy, but somehow I feel that there should be more to our life story than a mere footprint. Will I be able to look back and say that I made an impact on others in a good way or a bad one?

Did I make someone feel good or did I hurt their feelings? Could my answer have been less harsh and more compassionate?

What would happen if we all charged ourselves a dime for every hateful thing that was expressed by us on any given day. Would your piggy bank be full or empty?

We all have a different perception on life and the issues that face us every day. Some of us are able to get up and put on a cheerful front and others choose to growl their way through.

I personally don't believe in carbon footprints. I do, however, believe in the Book of Life and what will be written about my days here on earth. And to this day, I wish that I could take back my mean behavior to several individuals in my school days. In particularly, a little girl named Mary. She was gentle and sweet and I was mean to her on the bus. I never got to say that I was sorry.

I didn't have the opportunity to say that I was sorry to Danny Crumrine; who was both odd and scary at the same time. We used to say that he had fleas and jump out of his way as he walked down the hall. I did write his family when he died about my sorrow and shame. That I wasn't able to do so in person will always haunt me.

Our words should be taxed when we are hateful and mean. At the end of the day; we would be able to see how full our piggy bank is and realize the weight of our guilt.

My personal behavior piggy bank while growing up had a tendency to be empty one day and full of dimes the next. We all seem to have that problem and some more than others.

A carbon tax would be completely unnecessary if we were able to keep a short accounting of our behavior every day. Those who own big corporations or run them would have a conscience. Our government would be filled with people who wanted to serve others instead of themselves.

Our movies would be filled with messages of hope and kindness. Okay, that is stretching it a bit too far with the saccharine.

There are some of who are not filled with wonder and awe at the beauty of the earth. They see shopping malls and parking lots instead and lots of dollars. That is their problem and their life story. Given the choice of having a life story be a cautionary tale or an inspirational one; mine would be inspirational hands down.

Life has taken on a new meaning to me these past few years. I am constantly reminded of both my blessings and my short-comings. I would rather give my dimes to charity than to feel the weight of them in my personal piggy bank.