When in Rome…
You don't always need do as the Romans do.
One thing I hated about living in Egypt was the prevalent method of garbage disposal. It went something like this: throw it anywhere.
I would watch as Chipsy bags and soda cans flew out of car windows. On the freeways. Down the canal streets. Wherever.
Done with that sandwich wrapper? Just drop it and keep on walking. No need for that plastic bag? That ditch looks like a good spot. And yes, orange peels are biodegradable, but please don't throw them at the base of the Great Pyramid!
Of course, not everyone in Egypt subscribes to this behavior. But the number of people who do is overwhelming.
There was the argument that by littering, one was doing their part for the job market. The increasing seas of garbage, knee deep in some places, forced the government to create an entire workforce of roving garbage collectors. And in a society where the unemployment rate is sky high, that's not a bad thing.
But there was plenty of litter already floating around. Literally. When the water levels in the canals were low, you could hardly even see water. They looked like dried-up ditches meant as landfills. And people still used the water from the canals to water and bathe their horses and camels. I was always shocked to see children swimming in them.
What one society does in its own country is not for me to change. Encourage change, yes, but regulate or condemn, no. However, it is within my power to control my own actions. And even so, there were times I found myself about to follow the status quo.
When living in a culture (ours or anyone else's), it can be a challenge to go against the stream. I've experienced it, I've witnessed it in other people, and I've heard stories of how difficult it can be to stick to your values when you're the odd one out.
My best advice (which I don't always follow, ahem) is to just remember what's right and try to act on your own convictions, regardless of what people around you are doing (something about jumping off a bridge sounds familiar here...). Easier said than done.
