While walking down a sidewalk in Washington, D.C., my eyes caught a little girl lifting a crumpled plastic wrapper to her Mom. She had just unwrapped her candy ring and didn’t know what to do with the wrapper. Her Mom swatted it away from her and said, “Throw that trash on the ground. That’s where it belongs.” I was three shades of speechless. I couldn't believe what I just heard. This wasn't a joke, this wasn't a skit, I literally just watched a Mom teach her child to litter. I nearly ran up to confront them and maybe I should have. Instead, I picked up the litter behind them and disposed of it quietly and properly.

Think about it. We all see awful things in life. The worst is seeing something awful unfold that was completely avoidable. It's even worse when that something is teaching the next generation the wrong way to behave, the wrong way to do things- in this case, managing waste. It would have taken Mom all of three seconds to stuff the candy wrapper into her pocket until she found a trash bin. She could have seized the moment to teach her daughter how to be responsible, how to care for planet Earth a little better, and how her actions directly impact everyone around her.

Think before you act. Keep your candy wrappers, empty cups and food bags with you until you can dispose of them properly and recycle whenever possible. Please. A little effort goes a long way- for all of us.