Recycling and wine
Luckily, in California, it’s very easy to recycle. That means, however, it is easy for other people to get a glimpse of how you live your life.
Since I work in a tasting room, I often bring home opened bottles of wine that would otherwise go down the drain. Sometimes I take them over to friends’ houses, thereby getting rid of the evidence. Other times, though, I drink a glass here or there and pour the rest out or use towards making vinegar. (Ok, there was the one time I was homesick and drank every drop while calling friends all over the country, but it’s best forgotten.)
In the beginning, I shared with two of my neighbors, but they have since moved out. Now when I take the empties downstairs, I can’t help but worry my neighbors think I’m a wino or that people walking by on the sidewalk judge me. All those bottles. I sometimes want to put up a note: I don’t drink them all, and they weren’t full in the first place.
Possibly, it’s more an issue of quality vs. quantity. Maybe there are many bottles in my recycling bin. But when I go on my morning walks and glance at the contents of others’ containers, I can’t help but judge a little myself. Certain houses nearby always have very inexpensive brands displayed on the labels. I think to myself that I wouldn’t want to drink with them. And if others walk by and think I’m a wino, at least they might think I’m a wino with good taste.
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