“You’re not gonna throw that away are you?” I say somewhat baffled to the young checkout boy in Wegmans. Insert eye-roll and judgement here followed by a dramatic sigh. He looks at me bewildered as he shoves the unused plastic bag into the garbage.

“We’re not allowed to re-use them ma’am.” He says uncomfortably as he resumes scanning items. He could not be less interested in me and my opinions.

“But you wouldn’t be re-using it really,” I wheedle, attempting to appeal to his sense of reason. “The box of kleenex barely made contact with it.” I can’t let this go. It’s too ridiculous. Does no one use common sense anymore? Besides, everything moves so damn fast here. The boy started putting my first item in a plastic bag as I was reaching towards the end of the counter to purchase a re-usable one. I turned to him with it in my hand, but I was too late. He is immovable, just doing what he’s told.

“Mooooom!” My daughter hisses from behind me. I am here in Rochester, New York for my yearly visit. Her look tells me: stop harassing the poor cashiers who are 15 years old and just doing their job. I love it that I can still embarrass my children even though they are now grown with children of their own. I mutter about this latest indignation to Alicia, all the way back to the car. She smiles at me indulgently, she knows I’m a little outside-the-box for Rochester.

Just this morning I’d had a similar conversation with her. “Where does this go sweetie?” I asked, holding out the peels and cores of the fruit and veggies I’d cut up for my smoothie.

“In the garbage mom,” she says with a warning look, already sensing where this is going.

“But this is compost sweetie, you can use it in Cooper’s garden.”

“Don’t worry, we get organic compost at the Farm and Garden store here in Brockport.”

“Well, you could throw it around your shrubs or blueberry bush or your apple tree. It will give back to the soil in your yard. It seems a waste to throw it in the garbage.”

“Jesus mom, I’m not going to throw banana peels under the shrubs in my front yard, it will start to look and smell like a garbage dump.” We both giggle at the visual of piles of rotting vegetation around her neat shrubs in her suburban home. Ok, I realize I’m taking this too far now. I may have been living in Hawai’i for over 20 years, but I do remember how things are done here.

I changed my lifestyle significantly by moving to Hawai’i in 1994. Then I took it to the next level when I purchased a Tiny Home and began living off the grid in 2011. My life now is like one long, deep breath, and I have to switch hats when I return to Rochester on vacation.

I had a similar altercation on the plane on the way home. I knew enough not to take this one too far, they hold all the cards these days.

I had made a commitment to stop buying and using plastic water bottles several months previously. I had purchased a Berkey travel bottle that would filter tap water and allow me not to have to buy water when I traveled. But in the short layover time, I had forgotten to fill it up at the last airport. So when they came around with drinks, I got a glass of water then squirreled the plastic cup away to re-use it. When they returned later offering more water, I held out my cup. The flight attendant said, “we’re not allowed to re-use the cups ma’am.” Oh god, this again!

“But I don’t want to waste the plastic, it’s my cup, I promise you.” I said with a hopeful smile thrusting the cup towards her.

She took my cup and threw it in her garbage, then asked, “would you like some water ma’am.”

I sighed, “sure, yes please.” I didn’t need to be escorted off the plane in handcuffs over a plastic cup.

She handed me my water, and I noticed that it was in two cups, stuck together. I opened my mouth to say something but then looked at her, she was smiling at me triumphantly, one eyebrow raised. There are so many ways to say: Fuck you I’m just doing my job. I closed my mouth, smiled and nodded. Touché, I thought, she had won that round. After she left I laughed in reluctant admiration.

Perhaps you’re wondering why I started my blog with this particular thread. Like: ‘what does that have to do with Hawai’i, Tiny Living and living off the grid?’ When you live on an island with limited resources then combine that with living in a 146 square foot home, you become acutely aware of waste. Including usage and waste of natural resources. I try not to be obnoxious. I try to keep my sense of humor. After all, hopefully we’re all just doing the best we can. And then maybe, just maybe, we can all try to do a little better. One small step at a time.

Stay tuned for weekly stories about my life in Hawai’i, Tiny Living and living off the grid.