A Very Dark Place

Several years ago, I was arrested for drunk driving, it was one of the bigger mistakes I have made. As part of my sentence, the judge sent me to a Driver Intervention Program. I had to spend the weekend at the Holiday Inn, and attend classes that taught you all about drugs and alcohol, laws that surround them, and many other things. This class was taught by lawyers, insurance agents, police officers, and recovering alcoholics that had to take the same course at one time. I dreaded having to attend this class, but after taking it, I was glad I did and was a better person because of it. One of the class assignments we were asked to do was write a letter of apology to those we potentially hurt because of our mistake. The letter was to be written as if we were in an accident, in jail, or something a long those lines. The letter I wrote came in the form of a poem. I read it every once and a while, as a reminder of the mistakes I have made, and a reminder of mistakes I would rather avoid. I came across it today as I was searching for a document, I decided to share it with whomever is willing to read it, and as an attempt to make others think of who suffers for their mistakes.

To: All Whom I've Concerned

From: A Very Dark Place

I am not sure the day, the week, or the year; all I know is that I am here.

What had happened is not quite clear, but I do recall drinking my sixteenth beer.

It seems that I have gotten myself in a bind, trapped in a prison inside my mind.

The way out I cannot seem to find, but thank you for being here, you are all too kind.

I am sorry for this life that I've led.

I am sorry for many of the things that I've said.

I am sorry for all of the lies that I've fed.

I am sorry that in a moment I will be dead.

To my love:

You know that I loved you with all of my heart,

I wish we could've finished what we never got to start.

I wish would have asked you to be my wife,

and together we could have had a long life.

To my mother:

I regret not telling you how I feel,

things I should have said but would not reveal.

I regret not telling you before I was through,

but I want you to know I do love you too.

To my children:

To you there is so much to say,

I know you don't understand why dad can't stay.

I'm sorry I will not be there to give the you the things you need,

I'm sorry I wasted my time with alcohol and weed.

I wish I could be there as you grow up,

and give you advice when times get tough.

But my biggest regret is on the day you die,

joining our family and Lord in the sky;

I won't be there, you won't see my face,

because I'll be down here in a very dark place.

Promise of Change

The United States, once an economic superpower, now a crippled nation, unhealthy and unemployeed; pleading to its government for assistance, and waiting impatiently for answers. Eager to layout his plans, standing sturdily and serene in clear-view of the nation's eye, President Barack Obama, in his first State of the Union address, proclaims his promise of change. Preaching the need for brotherhood among politicians, and declaring the changes coming for the taxpaying American worker. He spoke of his administration's diligence in preserving the nation's financial institution, and admitted his failures on similar affairs.

His speech was motivating and heartfelt, giving us the perception that we could rely on him to rebuild this once great nation. However, history has taught us to be wary of one's words. Many before him have stood in front of the nation making similar promises, failing to follow through. President Obama may have the best intentions, but it will take much more than powerful words to rescue this nation. It will only be the President's actions that will demonstrate his plan's ability to produce positive results.

We can make a difference

I would like to start off my blog by discussing a real problem. Landfills, the biggest waste of space destroying our planet. We need to stop filling the earth with our garbage, and make more efforts to recycle.

It is said the average person throws away about 3.5 pounds of garbage a day. In one year 300 million people each producing 3.5 pounds of trash a day create approximately 18,433,779,281 cubic feet of trash. To dispose of that trash in the ground, you would need to dig a hole about 40 feet deep and one acre wide. That's just one year in the United States alone.

So what can we do about it? Well, recycle for starters! More and more communities, townships, and cities have recycling programs now. If you are unaware of them, call your local state or township office.

I understand it may be just a little more of an inconvenience to recycle our waste, but do not let that keep you from doing it! Some communities like my own offer you a recycling bin to fill with all of your recyclable waste, this not only saves the trash from being tossed into a landfill, but saves a few garbage bags a week. In other communities you may have to take the trash to a recycling plant but it can sometimes benefit you as well as the planet.

Much of what we throw away could be profitable. Aluminum for instance, many states do not have a deposit on soda cans, and for the most part they end up in the trash. States that do have deposits do not put one on non-carbonated beverages. One way you could make some extra cash while cleaning up the planet is to crush these cans and place them in a large container along with any other scrap aluminum you come across. Save it all up and when you have enough, take it to a scrap yard and collect your money. Copper and brass also have high value to recycle, so do not throw it away, go get a couple bucks for it. Some companies will also pay for other recyclable waste, plastic and corrugated boxes for instance. Do some research, you may be throwing away more money than you realize.

There are many other simple things we could do to reduce or reuse items before just throwing them away, most are obvious, but I'll mention them anyway. Instead of bottled water use a refillable water bottle; get reusable grocery bags for your shopping, if you do use plastic bags reuse them for trash bags, or return them to the store to be recycled; avoid single use or "throw away" goods; do not throw away old clothes, toys, and household items, donate them; reuse containers like coffee cans or glass jars for storage, donate old books and magazines to hospitals, schools, and libraries; do whatever you can to keep as much as possible from going in the trash.

It is important for all of us to do our part. We cannot just keep piling our trash into landfills forever, not only does it waste space and smell awful, it is also destroying or environment by polluting our waters with toxic chemicals and filling the air with methane gases. If there is any hope for having a livable planet for our kids and their kids, we must make more efforts now to recycle everything we can!