recycle

Getting mail used to be fun. How thrilling it was getting credit card applications personally addressed to me, recognized for my fiscal competence and demographic desirability. I would tirelessly pore through layers of BMG stamps, pulling apart titles like Fried Green Tomatoes and Working Girl with care. Hand-written letters from friends were sacred.

Now, I rifle through legions of credit card applications, mentally replaying Fight Club's ending scene. I smirk at address labels allegedly designed by the kids of St. Jude's Hospital (which I still use though my name is misspelled and donations total less than $10.) BMG packets get tossed. Letters from friends fail to arrive unless I enter my password and click "Inbox."

When did the thrill of seeing my printed name fizzle out? When did checking the mailbox become a chore? I blame lazy penpals and obnoxious credit card companies. I suppose there's not much to be done about friends, but for credit card companies, there's a small way to fight back. It's nothing new, but it's one worth re-telling.

For every credit card application and other unsolicited piece of mail that clogs up your mailbox, take the included No Postage Necessary envelope, fill it with candy wrappers and grease-stained Chinese take-out menus, and send it back to them. It won't stop the applications from coming, but at least you're doing your part in recycling.

Remember, the greasier, the better.