I spotted this sticker on the ground in one of the neighborhood parking lots. It seemed a true piece of MOOP (material out of place). Not only was it very faded… the red ink had all disappeared, but it seemed to have been run over by multiple cars during it’s past few months on the pavement, creating the dimpled look that would have over time, if left there, gotten more obvious. AT LEAST is wasn’t a “plasticized” sticker with a much longer time-mark to break down.
This sticker was located less than a block north of our local designated voting place. I’m glad that’s it just a short walk from where I live, as it made it very easy to walk/vote this past November.
After I voted, someone was there with stickers, I received one and proudly stuck it to the case of my iPhone as a reminder that I did my civic duty. The stickers don’t always stick so tight to clothing, as was my guess as to why it probably ended up where it did, falling off someone’s lapel during their walk back home.
I would guess what became the litter in the parking lot was unintentional. That being said, it may reflect on the individual who took the sticker, that they weren’t really “tied” to the sticker, that they didn’t really care all that much about holding on to the sticker, or believing that it was important to maintain responsibility for this little piece of paper. After all, they had voted, was that not enough? Was the sticker then inconsequential?
I thought not. I decided to take a photograph of it “where it lay” then picked it up. For some reason it did not make it into the trash can. For the moment it’s on my desk.
Today is Inauguration Day 2017. The votes were cast in November; the electoral college won it’s right, once again, to vote in the one who got less votes. What next will we vote for. I vote for a cleaner environment. Contemplate on that.