It's All Compost Now

24 hours after receiving the information that I was going to be laid off and my whole office closed, I would like you to study the contents of my compost bin. This is Portland's newest innovation in garbage technology. It allows the resident to contemplate the amount and kind of food wasted each day. The muffins not eaten before they got stale, the lettuce that is browning in the bag, leftover oatmeal, etc etc. This bin is like all the years I have spent working under the impression that my labor somehow means more than just a paycheck, only to see it tossed into the rubbish heap. However, the compost is taken to a composting facility where it torments the neighbors with its smelliness, and then emerges repurposed, ready for some lucky field where things will grow. This is my hope.