We live in a prosperous nation where upgrading is expected.  We throw out stuff when we get something better.  Sometimes our old item is working fine, we just want a fancier version.  Sometimes the old item is broken or damaged and it’s just cheaper to get a replacement.  The constant evolution with technology producing better, more advanced and sometimes cheaper products causes a constant turnover of old to new.

How the old is disposed of offers an insightful glimpse into who we are both as individuals and as a developed nation.  In the case of this technology the old one is sometimes left out on the curb with the hope that someone else might come along and pick it up.  Perhaps this prospective new owner is somebody who isn’t yet able to have the latest and greatest.  Sometimes that TV is just thrown out like litter and the original owner is letting someone else clean up the mess.  These two scenarios represent the extremes of living in a prosperous nation.  On one hand there is so much wealth that charity is possible, on the other hand there is so much wealth that we become even more indulgent and selfish.

We all throw things out. What does our waste say about us? In the meantime these objects occupy a lonely spot in the landscape and wait for their next assignment.