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/
After I patched you up and got you to the school nurse, I fainted dead out!
That you did!
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.
Thanks, Ina. We’ve come so far in awareness! And so far still to go, but every step is important.