• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Claudia Long Author

  • Blog
  • Books
  • About Me

Earth day scars

April 22, 2014 by Claudia Long 4 Comments

I was 15 on the first #earthday, in 1970. Yes, true confession! And I was one of the young participants in this very first day. I tried to speak in front of my high school class, but those were different times and Earth Day was seen as some radical hippie type event, something else we were against, along with things like the Viet Nam War and the Draft, something else we were for, like legal abortion and Civil Rights.

So a group of us went out to pick up trash in front of the school. Such radicals, girls in school uniforms picking up garbage! A pull tab (remember those? they were vicious tabs of metal pulled by a ring, in order to open soda cans) came through the garbage bag and sliced me on the forearm.

My sister put a bandaid on it while I tried not to faint. I was a squeamish little brat… and I still have the scar. Happily, Earth Day is now a world movement. Let’s unite once again to try, somehow, to preserve Mother Earth. Check out this link for a more complete and less personal history of Earth Day: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140421-earth-day-2014-facts-environment-epa/

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: earth, earth day, history, National Geographic, women's rights

Comments

  1. Francesca says

    April 23, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    After I patched you up and got you to the school nurse, I fainted dead out!

    Reply
    • Administrator says

      April 23, 2014 at 11:12 pm

      That you did!

      Reply
  2. Ina Zajac says

    April 30, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    Oh wow, I had forgotten about those sharp little pull tabs. I remember having to be careful when drinking from open soda cans because the whole shop as well. My how things have changed.
    I remember we used to search for bottles to recycle. I grew up in Seattle where hippies have always been a part of life. I’m happy Earth Day is still being celebrated, more so than ever. Wonderful post.

    Reply
    • Administrator says

      May 1, 2014 at 4:53 am

      Thanks, Ina. We’ve come so far in awareness! And so far still to go, but every step is important.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Recent Posts

  • Scone or Irish Soda Bread?
  • Ukraine in my history
  • Kiffles are the new Magic
  • Jewish Book Tour on Instagram
  • An old law leads to forced marriage–can this bride be saved?

Find me on Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget