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Health & Fitness

Little Things

My Dad was ahead of his time when it came to Earth Day. Long before it was popular, we'd go on walks to pick up trash and debris just to make the world a nicer place.

When I was growing up, my parents—each in a different way—taught me to pay attention to the little things. "If you do a thing at all," my Dad said, "do it thoroughly." I was told to always leave any place I'd been looking better than before I'd been there.

On every camping trip, our campsite was cleaned before and after, completely swept of leaves and rocks down to bare dirt (mostly so the tent would sit flat). Then Dad would set up the perimeters of our temporary outdoor living space in a neat and orderly way. His outdoor kitchen was his pride and joy, and no one but he did the cooking, and Mom never complained! It was always my job to create a small, artful arrangement of wild flowers, leaves, or stacked stones for the center of our outdoor "dining room" table, and it was left for whoever came after us to enjoy. Note: This was all before anyone had even heard of Martha Stewart!

My Dad was ahead of his time when it came to Earth Day. Long before it was popular, we'd go on walks to pick up trash and debris just to make the world a nicer place. If he were alive today, he'd have his name on one or more of those Adopt-a-Highway signs seen on every highway in California. Dad also took the time to teach me the names and spellings of the trees, flowers, and birds we'd encounter anywhere along the way, which is probably why I'm such an avid birder (aka bird nerd) today.

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I can be an annoying know-it-all in that way, if I'm not careful.

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