Deal With a Full Deck

Isn’t this the greatest country? Where else in the world could you get dressed up as a fool and bomb (non violently) on the U.S. Capitol steps with bad jokes? 25 years ago, on April Fool’s Day, I visited my Congresswoman, Connie Morella, dressed up in a court jester costume. As Ray Cycle, I stood on the Capitol steps and proclaimed, "You’re not dealing with a full deck when you throw out the joker out! Recycle Our Nation’s Capital." American you are still so fuelish, Why not lessen our gas guzzling ways and proclaim energy efficiency?

For over 30 years, I have coped with working for the environment in a bureaucratic environment through random and deliberate small acts of humor. When I get too serious, I prefer to laugh rather than cry. I see the difference between a comedy and a tragedy as subtle, but significant-- we can learn from comedy rather than perpetuating a tragic fate. This is why I take refuge in our refuse.

Three decades ago while working at the D.C. Energy Office, I came up with the character of Ray Cycle. My plan was to entertain and promote the value of saving, conservation, thrift—simple good housekeeping. What could be more conservative? Some kids had pictures of baseball players as icons when they were growing up; I had a picture of a crying Indian lamenting the rape of the land. Now, I share the trademarked character of Ray Cycle with the State of Connecticut. Their Ray is a Super Hero; my Ray is just your American joker.

You see, Ray Cycle is always going around being "insightful and mindful". If waste becomes "out of sight and of mind" then the insanity of our blindness impacts future generations. After all, one used oil change improperly disposed of impacts the water supply of fifty people over a period of one year. If you dump it you may have to drink it since what goes around comes around.

Today I will observe that I am a comic not tragic person. Arise rather than fall in love. Let’s transform our waste making by saving our cards for future hands. We have a choice between tragic hard work or comic heart work. Let the humor you love be who you are. Please deal with a full deck. There are thousands of ways to bless ourselves and this earth. Our journey begins with a single awakening laugh.