Dear Crabby, Why Does Earth Get Its Own Day?

Dear Crabby,

Last weekend I was out working in my yard when my neighbor asked me if I was doing anything for Earth Day. I looked at him like he was crazy. Is this just some liberal crap because it’s an election year? Please tell me Earth Day isn’t a real thing.
Thanks!
Tony Terra

Dear Mr. Terra,

DearCrabbyWell, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but not only is Earth Day a real thing, but it’s been around for over 45 years. Sorry. The good news is that in the spirit of this election year, you can blame it all on former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Apparently he was pretty passionate about the environment, which means no one took him seriously most of the time. All the poor guy wanted to do was to raise awareness about what was happening in the environment and to get politicians off their heinies to pass laws and such. So, he suggested a day—April 22 to maximize the number of students that could be reached on university campuses—when teach-ins could be held to raise awareness of environmental problems. And I’m not sure if you realize this, but Downtown Rochester hosts an annual MI Earth Day Fest. That’s right. These environmental shenanigans have been going on right in your back yard for years! Now I’m not going to run out and fill my gas tank with vegetable oil, but Earth Day encompasses more than just saving polar bears. I think it provides a good opportunity to teach the younger generation about the value of where our food comes from and the farms that work so hard to grow our crops. To me, that’s Earth Day. So, before you throw the baby out with the bathwater and dismiss Earth Day as hippie-dippy mumbo jumbo, try approaching it from a practical standpoint and go from there.

Don’t get me wrong, this Friday you won’t find me hugging a tree, but maybe I’ll plant the tree Mrs. Crabby has been harping about. Or maybe I’ll just take a nap. That conserves energy, right?

Hope that answers your question.

Peace, love, and Happy Earth Day!
Dear Crabby.

Stuck in a rut? Need some biased advice from a crabby old baby-boomer? Go to www.DearCrabby.org and ask your question.

You can also head on over to my Facebook page and tell me how wonderful I am.

About Dear Crabby

Stuck in a rut? Need some biased advice from a crabby old baby-boomer? Read regularly by thousands and loved by some, Dear Crabby answers questions weekly to life's challenges. Send him a note at editor@rochestermedia.com.

Speak Your Mind

*