Well, well. It’s been so long since I wrote. I’ve saved things up: there’s an entire entry, ready to go, about Main Street Takoma landscaping successes. That’ll have to wait. And Main Street winning the trophy in the July 4th parade? Sorry, not today. The watering program? Adopt-A-Tree? Facade improvement? All worthy of note, but nope, nope, nope. Because, you see, we’ve been bad. And we need to shape up.

I go downtown just about every day. I go, I pick up trash. Other Design Committee folks do the same thing. I know this; I talk to them. Public Works picks up trash at least three times a week. It’s right here, on paper. And, I’m sure we have a few good citizens out there, doing the citizen thing, keeping their side of the street clean, as well. Knowing this, one has to ask: Why is there so much crap on our sidewalks and in our streets? Why are we, the highly-evolved, morally superior, world-saving citizens (AND shopkeepers - you don’t get off that easily) of Old Takoma so comfortable with the filth around them, and why can't we take two seconds out of our busy day/week/month/year and actually throw something away? Every morning, empty water bottles. Vitamin-fortified, super pure stuff. And lots of food wrappers: power bars, granola crunchies, the works. Things we pay premium prices for, that’re (purportedly) good for us, that we then discard on the ground. Can’t be bothered with throwing something away, man. I'm just too worried about the glaciers and rain forests, dude. Feh. Just this morning, I picked up a double fistfull of used napkins and kleenexes on Carroll Avenue. And that’s about normal. Maybe the Wiki entry for Old Takoma should read “Though they are diligent wipers of their own snouts and jowls, Takomans still haven’t mastered the trash receptacle”. I’m ashamed of all of us, and you should be, too.

Here it is, plain: If you can’t recognize what trash is, contact me and I’ll show you. If you allow garbage to exist in front of your shop, shame on you. If you let papers pile up in front of your house until they ROT, then I’m sorry, really sorry, for you. If you never learned that you throw trash in the can, not in the street, then, sadly, you must take another shot at first grade. And if I’m preaching to the choir, then tell a friend to read the irrational Main Street blog, because I’m calling everyone out on this one, myself included. We got pigs on the wing, folks. Wear a hat.

John Hume
Design Chair