The LemonSqueeze

My family always collected and recycled bottles. Visiting home from UCSD, I scrunched water bottles and packed them into my duffel bag since I did not have a car to go to a recycling center near campus. Once I got home, I drove my family’s decade old Hyundai to pick up several bags that contained green soju bottles from my father’s restaurant along with a basket full of bottles that piled up at my mother’s house. I collected on average 20-30 dollars that covered the train cost to visit home. It was a strange moment at UCSD since my two closest friends did not possess the same mindset. Hannam and Justin were both from well off families that did not have recycling in their repertoire. Walking back to the apartment from the on campus market, we passed by a crushed Starbucks Mocha Can. Even whilst being with my best friends, I feared that if I were to pick up the crushed can, I would be labeled as a person who was less fortunate. Cans reap the most money at a recycling center at a whopping 10 cents, so I picked up the can the next morning while there was no one around to see. Much of my sophomore year was wasted in attempt to blend in with my peers who wore expensive clothes and followed Hypebeast trends. Now I see the irony in recycling bottles and cans to fund a $120 shoe purchase.

I was a junior transfer at UC Berkeley when I decided to rush an Asian fraternity. At the end of rush week, there was an event that took me to Origin NightClub in San Francisco. While I was talking with the brothers in line, there were dollar bills scattered around the floor. I ignored the dollar bills in the same fashion that I ignored the crushed mocha can and doing so elicited much of the same feelings. I was embarrassed to pick up the dollars to preserve my reputation in front of the brothers.

Mom always reminded me of how large a dollar can be despite social status. Although a dollar may be a seemingly insignificant amount, it holds most of its value in reminding me of humbler beginnings. A dollar reminds me to practice gratitude for the people and experiences that helped me grow. These instances also allow me to form an appreciation for people who aren’t afraid of judgement and those who regularly practice humility. My mother would never pass by a dime on the floor and she owns a house. Why should I ignore a can when I own nothing?