tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859280588058892634.post-51362077801543308182008-06-11T23:57:00.000-07:002008-06-12T00:03:52.788-07:00My friend Jim recently posted about something that he called <a href="http://jimthomsen.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/the-saddest-thing-i-ever-saw/">the saddest thing he ever saw</a>.<br /><br />Well, I have one for you.<br />I was at Costco last night putting gas in my car at about $4.35 a gallon.<br />A frail man, he had to be in his late 70s or early 80s, shuffled across the parking lot in slippers, pajama pants and a tattered old sweater.<br />He was dragging one of those little basket things I have seen people use at the farmers market to carry their purchases.<br />But his basket was not filled with purchases.<br />It was filled with empty aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles.<br />He shuffled past a few cars to the trash cans. He started digging.<br />He was looking for cans and bottles to recycle.<br />Why did I suddenly feel so guilty gassing up my cute little German car?<br />Why did I feel compelled to rummage around my back seat (which looks very lived in) to find a few empty water bottles to add to his collection?<br />Why did I want nothing more than for the tank to fill more quickly so that I could just go?<br /><br />Probably because in the back of my mind I was thinking, "there but for the grace of God..."Atypical California Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11104594940276571192noreply@blogger.com