Attitudes towards Pollution and the Quality of the Environment

As one gets older, there is a sense of detachment that is often difficult to describe except that it is the absence of the rush or high of youth. When we are young, our attitudes to messiness and being dirty relate more to what we are about than to what we remember as "shoulds", those things our parents tell us we ought to do. We are more likely to have our own "shoulds" as standards that young people feel and sense.

I can remember effluent of colourful water flowing into the local river. It was beautiful, but I knew there was something wrong about it. Essentially, the adults had not got their "shoulds" right. We read that young people are keeping youthful attitudes long into their adult years. Does this mean that their attitudes towards the environment never grow beyond what they were as children, being into whatever it was without thinking about consequences for others very much, or will young people bring a fresh approach to their environment by being observant of what makes it messy and dead looking. Turds floating in the river or harbour waters for example. How do they get there? We know they should not be there, but have the adults got their "shoulds" wrong again.

Will ye no think kindly on those who would be your friends! May the sun shine with your thoughts, today, and happiness grow in your heart! May you allow yourself some peace of mind.