My Day ON

Three-day weekends are glorious, especially when your employer celebrates a day that nobody else in the country takes. But on MLK Day, I always hear the voice of my conscience, reminding me that “it’s not a day off… it’s a day on.”

That was the voice whispering to me as I began boulder hopping up the Nang Rong Falls in search of the perfect swimming hole. My trip out there the previous evening, via van, bus, and motorcycle, had only taken a couple hours. Traffic had been going the other way, most people heading back to town in time for work on Monday.

So my mood was pretty upbeat. Traveling light. Wearing shoes that stick, even when the rock is slippery. Looking forward to raw papaya salad for lunch.

Except for the conscience part. I couldn’t really claim to be performing any individual acts of kindness through service to others, or strengthening any communities. My main goal for the day was to climb high enough up the stream that I wouldn’t offend anyone when I stripped and jumped in.

That climb ended up taking a while, partly because it was such nice weather that I just kept on going, and partly because I kept spotting hints that people might be around. Hints like plastic drinking straws, Styrofoam containers, and empty beer bottles. Voila! Instant service project! On my way downstream I filled six bags with trash.

One lesson learned: in Thailand, empty beer bottles sometimes become a convention center for red ants. They bite when bothered. With experience, I became a bit more selective about what I picked up.