Every year, members of the Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs staff take it upon themselves to make the earth a better place. I like to think that I contribute to the planet’s greater good on a daily basis, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be hard pressed to find someone willing to testify to the contrary. Last week, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and decided to frolic alongside our mile-long stretch of Interstate 476. I’m sure you’re puzzled, dear reader, at my use of the word “our.” If you haven’t already heard, we are the proud parents of an adopted highway. (In lieu of flowers, please take some time to clean up your local highway.) Like any rambunctious child, little 476 tends to get messy. Accordingly, we have to give him an annual scrub down.
“At times, it’s difficult to fight the stench of stagnant water, the sting of bees, the constant pursuit of ticks, but we must brave the elements of lateral highway danger to ensure the well-being of our family members,” says Human Resource Director Jennifer Walker. Adopting a highway is not a decision that we take lightly. When you welcome him or her into your family, you accept a sacred responsibility to dress annually in an orange bib, grab a trash bag and keep that baby clean. My colleague Carrie Kayser reminds me that the cleanup was a team effort. I concur with her assessment, but admit to having selfish motives for the act. During the cleanup efforts, I found a birthday present for my brother. (Who throws away a perfectly good Mongo Jerry CD?) I guess the old saying is, in fact, true: One man’s roadside garbage is another man’s birthday present for an older brother. That is a saying, right?
