Allow me to share a story with you that really made me stop and think.

It is a story of a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject.

When the big day arrived, there was a large gathering in the palace courtyard. Four finalists were brought forward.

The first person presented was a wealthy philanthropist. The king was told that this man was highly deserving because of his humanitarian efforts. He has given much of his wealth to the poor.

The second person was a celebrated physician. The king was told that this doctor was highly deserving of this honor because he had rendered faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years.

The third person was a distinguished judge. The king was told that the judge was worthy because he was noted for his wisdom, his fairness and his brilliant decisions.

The fourth person was an elderly woman. Everyone was quite surprised to see her there because her manner was quite humble, as was her dress. She hardly looked the part of someone who would be honored as the greatest subject in the kingdom. What chance could she possibly have when compared to the other three who had accomplished so much?

The king was intrigued, to say the least, and somewhat puzzled at her presence. He asked who she was.

The answer was, "You see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge? Well, she was their teacher.

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

That's right, they didn't have "the green thing" in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But they didn't have "the green thing" back in her day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks. But she''s right. They didn't have "the green thing" in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby''s diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right, they didn't have "the green thing" back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house --- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right, they didn't have "the green thing" back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But they didn't have "the green thing" back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But that old lady is right. They didn't have "the green thing" back in her day.

O DEAR---that was MY day too...

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell