When making changes for the good of the planet, you are going to run into some a**holes. Some people view change as weird or even comical. It is neither of those things. Change is intelligent and courageous. It takes a special person to change. You need to educate yourself about the need for change. You need insight and forethought to prepare for change. Most importantly, you need courage and dedication to make a change. It's easy to stick with what is perceived as easy or what is normal. It takes someone who's willing to be different to pave the way for others to follow.
I mentioned in The Day I Realized I Am a Superhero that people stare at you in amazement when you refuse a bag and carry something with your hand. It isn't that astonishing, I actually have two of them. I used to hate it when I still used plastic bags at stores when they would put the stupidest things in bags. I don't need a gallon of milk in a plastic bag, it has its own handle. I don't need a watermelon in a bag, that's just dumb. I also don't need a card in a bag, or any other small item or items. I don't need each sandwich from Subway in its own bag. When we first switched to reusable bags (which seems to be embraced by the general population better than no bag at all) I had a checkout boy at Target grumble at me that I could "just get paper" instead of using my own bags. I'm not sure how paper bags, as opposed to cloth bags, would ease his workload but whatever. Instead of going off on a rant or being rude, I chose to smile and thank him for bagging my groceries.
I think it's better to smile in the face of ignorance if you want people to be open-minded and accept change. You can't force anyone to change but you can be polite and lead by example.
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