Budding Environmentalist

Last general conference, between sessions, we went to Ocean Beach to go for a walk. As we arrived, a woman and her son asked if we would help pick up trash. She had a trash grabber and Logan saw it and immediately grabbed it and started picking up trash. He had the time of his live picking up garbage off the beach. Ever since, he has begged us to buy a "trash picker upper" so we could go to the beach and pick up garbage "to help keep the earth clean." This week we finally bought one and today after church, headed to South Ponto Beach for a little Earth cleaning.
Gavin, however, had ZERO interest in helping the earth (shocker). He was preoccupied with a feisty flock of seagulls. The seagulls didn't fly away when Gavin walked up to them. They must have been thinking, "If we all gang up on this kid and everyone grabs a limb, we can fly away with this little guy and no one will be the wiser." Luckily, Gavin escaped with his life, though maybe not his pride.
Along with the trash picker upper, Logan, in all his sanitary glory, also needed plastic gloves. To keep his hands clean of course.
As we were walking along, cleaning the Earth, a man stood up from his beach chair and said, "Thank you so much for doing that! It may not seem like it, but we really appreciate what you're doing." Logan was so preoccupied with picking up garbage that he paid no attention to the man. "Logan, that man is saying 'thank you." "Thank you," says Logan. "Say 'you're welcome" I say. " "You're welcome" he says without missing a beat or looking up to see who he's talking to or why he's even talking at all. He finds another piece of trash. Into the sack it goes. He's a boy on a mission.

I have to say, what started out as a "let's do this so Logan will finally stop whining about it" turned into a nice family outing where we felt like we made a difference. Made the world a better place, if you will.

On the drive home I had visions of an older Logan. A young man organizing the masses to "help keep the Earth clean" and make the world a better place. Marching with an army of volunteers. Gallantly assuming responsibility for the littering actions of others. "I feel good when I'm cleaning the earth. Tomorrow can we stop on the side of the road? I'm sure we'll find tons and tons of garbage there!"

"Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves. One Earth a week, ok? That's all we've got time for . . . do you have your seatbelt on? And don't forget to REALLY wash those hands when we get home."

Tom