Conversation with the garbage collectors

You might think this is weird. What am I doing talking to garbage collectors. I just can't imagine the world without their services. So Why did I have a conversation?

I remember when I was young, back in Kuwait. I couldn't have been 10 yet. I was walking my older sister to my Aunt's house (because my father wouldn't allow her to walk alone). On the way, there were these Asian garbage collectors. Who were saying things in their native language and looking at my sister. Even at that young age I was too warm blooded to not notice. I was getting upset really quick.

Then to my surprise, my quite peaceful sister erupted into this fierce warrior as she shouted at them and how they should be ashamed of their selves. She must have heard something that I didn't catch. I was so proud of her as I saw the guys jump off from their relaxed posture to a more respectful position. This sister (Amani) moved on to become a Medical doctor and later on a Gynecologist and a mother of 3 beautiful kids.

During those days, I used to remember Ammo Nabil. Who is the garbage collector of my neighbourhood in Amman. He is a nice fellow who always had a smile and called me BashMohandis(like saying glorified version of Engineer) even before I entered Engineering school years later. I remember when the Eid comes and he would dress in a suit that everyone would be looking at him and laughing but. He was trying to show everyone that he's Human too. He's not just Nabil El Zabbal (The garbage man). He would pass by the houses on the first day of eid to get his 3eedyyeh. Although he was hired by Amman Municipality. But people welcomed him with a smile.\

In my last visit to Amman, Nabil has become a home owner, and his children are attending schools and universities. I was happy for him, yet he remains at his job. He might have gotten a promotion or something because I saw some other younger folks collecting the garbage. But he remains to many a good man. Managed to establish a family, buy a home and educate his children all out of being a simple garbage man.

This morning on my way out to work. Laptop and charger in one hand, coffee and keys in the other and a garbage bag stripe dangling from one of my fingers. I happened to run across the garbage collectors. (They come every wednesday morning). So the guy looks at me and says, "You know, you can recycle a lot of this stuff you have here) (For the people who don't have recycling in their countries this means separate the recyclable items in the recyclable bins and not with the rest of garbage). To me, it's all garbage.

So the collector and his partner look at me in the most serious look expecting an Answer. I got really surprised. I usually smile, say Hi and Thank you to them. But I wasn't expecting this. And this garbage collector looked like a movie star or something, he looked a lot like a mix between Brad Pitt and Al Pacino is you can imagine that. So I stuttered ..."Yeah, I should... I'm just too lazy".

The guys start laughing so hard and the other guy says, Nothing like honesty, I'm this guy's room mate, and he's so full of bullshit. They were actually playing a practical joke on me! I thought it was very funny. Then he continued, I don't recycle either, I'm just good at telling people to do so. They seriously gave me a good mood. took all my garbage away ... and left with a smile. Just like old Nabil used to do.

On the eve of the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait. I remember how garbage was left uncollected. Fuming stench in the heat of the Kuwaiti summer. How people improvised by burning it. Yet, it piled up. It was almost going to be an environmental disaster if it wasn't for few garbage collectors who worked and free of charge to get the infrastructure going. May god bless them

To all the people who make our life easier. Our infrastructure that we can't live without. I thank you and salute you. And below I leave you with the future of garbage collection