Receipts everywhere

Walking into church this evening, I noticed some paper on the ground and stopped to pick it up. Although not an obsessed naturalist by any stretch, I do get concerned with trash and debris scattered about. Not only is it unsightly (an unusual emotion for me as a non-visual learner), but it also is not healthy for the grass or trees. I suppose in my retirement, I might be one of those people who walks around with a pointed stick, relieving the environment of unwanted trash. A roving naturalist doing my part to help the environment, like not washing the towels in an extended stay at a motel, or recycling plastic bottles or avoiding running over the turtles crossing the road. Anyway, back to the event of this evening.

I picked up two old receipts, headed to the dumpster, and began to dwell on one of my irritants in life--receipts. Not all, but perhaps most mornings I pull into a drive-through and order a cup of coffee. There is a sign near the paying window that says "If we fail to hand you a receipt, you will receive $5.00 toward any purchase." I, however, wish it said, "If we burden you with a stupid, waste of time receipt, you will receive $5.00 toward any purchase."

I am sick of receipts. They clutter up my truck, get in my way, result in excess trash, waste paper, and generally bother me. I have receipts for gas, dry-cleaning, meals, water, snacks, and the list goes on and on. Recognizing the tax benefit of some items, I would actually prefer the option not to receive a receipt rather than the assumption I always want one. Maybe there will be a day when I can simply show my email address and have all receipts emailed to me. That way I can organize the ones that have a tax deduction. Meanwhile, I suppose I'll just put up with the constant flow of receipts and the absurd need to pick them up when I find them outside on the ground. I would furthermore encourage others to use a trash can, since the earth does not need to be our human trash bin.