Building a Community One Trash Can at a Time

We sold our house in California after I retired in 2023 and bought a newly built townhome minutes from the Columbia River in Oregon to be closer to our daughter. 

It's a compact neighborhood of 40 one-car garage townhomes on lots that are, as my daughter so elegantly stated, "The size of a Ritz cracker." We did that by design as we are embracing a more minimalistic lifestyle. We don't want a lot of stuff, and a cracker-size lot forces you to cut down.

A neighborhood this tight comes with narrow streets and limited parking. We  consolidated down to a single car, but the same can't be said for the majority of our neighbors. Cars are parked in every nook and cranny, but we've all adjusted and it only becomes a nuisance on trash day.

Which is where this little life lesson began:

Winter winds can whistle through the Columbia Gorge, sending empty trash cans careening down the street, where they strike cars and become obstructions. And we live in an end unit near a cul-de-sac, so the cans make it difficult to make the wide swing into our driveway.

So, I took it upon myself early on to corral the cans and return them to their proper owner.

Initially, I did it out of selfishness; I wanted the cans off the street. But it soon became something more meaningful.  

At the beginning, I retrieved only the few cans nearest our driveway. Then I noticed the cans at the Air B NB kitty corner from us stayed out all day, So, I started putting those away. Then, on a cold, windy and nasty day, the woman adjacent to the Air BnB, stumbled down her driveway shivering and in her pajamas, determined to bring in her trash cans.

I waved her off, saying I would take care of it. Same story with her neighbor.

Soon, People started  affixing house numbers to their trash cans, which simplified the process. I'm up to 11 households now. All have owners who work full time and some have young children . They all appreciate having one less responsibility during their busy week. 

I believe in the power and reciprocity of kindness. 

And that's way it  and told her I would it wearing only pajamas.