He was staring right at me.
Though he didn’t utter a word, the look in his eyes said it all, “You’re dumb.”
I was on a train from Delhi to my hometown Muzaffarnagar, Western Uttar Pradesh.
And the guy staring at me was one of the boys coming back after (apparently) appearing in some competitive exam.
It was wintertime.
A peanut seller boarded the train, and most of the passengers, including me, bought some.
Now, here’s the thing: I try to keep my surroundings clean—as much as possible, so I transferred the peanuts from the paper pouch to the right pocket of my jacket and kept the pouch in my lap.
I was munching and putting the peanut shells in the paper bag.
Seeing that, most of the boys in the compartment were amused. They got so interested that they started staring at me.
As if I were an alien—a blue, ghostly figure with eyes larger than oranges.
And I could understand why—because I was the only one not dropping the peanut shells on the floor.
The Boys Were Amused. And Confused
The boys sitting on the right-hand side berth were confused by my “strange” behavior. One of them was desperate to figure out what was happening.
And finally, when he couldn’t make out, he asked me jokingly, “Brother, what would you do with those shells?”
“The shells? Nothing. I’ll throw them where they belong—in the dustbin,” I replied.
Hands froze.
Munching stopped.
And a deafening silence prevailed.
But, a few moments later…
The hands moved again. And kept moving. Peanuts shells were still hitting the floor, but this time, with guilt.
That wasn’t good.
(No matter the reason, never let guilt take hold of you).
Now, my question is—do you litter—and do you (at times) feel guilty?
Do you?
Please don’t.
Because…
Littering is Not Dangerous, Guilt Is
Guilt does not transform. Understanding does.
You were not born with the littering habit. Ram Ji didn’t say, “Okay, I am sending you to Earth. Here’s the littering habit. Keep it with you at all times. It’s a bit nasty, but it’ll make you feel connected with fellow human beings.”
No, you weren’t born with it. You acquired it—from your surroundings, from your friends, from your parents (maybe).
Like I had.
You see, I also used to litter because I was (unconsciously) imitating my parents (kids do that all the time, right?) And when I realized that was inappropriate, I stopped. In fact, I’ve once had an argument with my mother over littering:
It was a chilly winter evening—my parents and I were munching on peanuts, all warm and cozy in our quilts.
She insisted that it was OK to litter the shells in the room because she would clean the place in the morning anyway. And I wanted to convince her that if she had to clean the waste, why not keep the shells in a bowl? Why waste time and energy on something that she could avoid in the first place?
That made me realize that littering is just a habit—an unconscious one.
And habits can be changed.
That’s where “understanding” comes in.
Don’t beat yourself up for littering around; instead, realize that you need to live with a little mindfulness.
Mindfulness? What’s that?
Living consciously.
Be alert. Hold yourself accountable for the cleanliness of your body and also your surroundings.
And if you feel you’re ready to change from “littering” to ‘keeping clean,” here are 3 tips:
1. Realise that Littering is Just a Habit
Oops! Did I repeat myself?
Doesn’t matter.
You see, there’s no need to criticize yourself for being a litterer up till now.
Because now you know what you need to do, right? You have the power to dump the littering habit. Just remember to be kind to yourself.
Indeed, old habits die hard, but with consistent practice, you’ll succeed.
2. Carry a Polybag
Polybags?
Don’t they pollute the soil? Block the sewage? Release toxic smoke when burned? And…
Yes, they do. But I’m not asking you to dump them.
They come in handy when there’s no dustbin in sight. Just carry one to keep the waste (wrappers of chocolates and biscuits, banana peels, peanut shells, etc.).
You can keep the polybag in your laptop bag or your handbag and once you’re home—dump the waste (not the polybag) in the trash. Pretty cool, right?
3. Don’t Ask Others to Give Up Littering
“But shouldn’t I encourage others to follow in my footsteps? Shouldn’t I be making others aware of this nasty habit?”
Don’t.
Remember, you also used to litter?
How would you’ve felt if I met you on the street and asked you not to? You would’ve hated me for telling you what you should do, right?
See, nobody likes to follow orders from strangers or even friends. If you want others to stop littering, lead by example.
And someday, some people might start doing the same.
But it’s not for you to decide.
It’s Possible to Change from Littering to “Keeping it Clean”
Littering is just an unconscious behavior.
You might have picked it from family, peers, or surroundings. But that doesn’t mean you can’t change it.
You can.
And don’t criticize yourself even if you do litter at times—it’s human, perfectly normal.
Good luck!