What Milly Did

What Milly Did

Juvenile herstory
Take a good look at the number on the bottom of a plastic
recyclable product, say a milk jug. You probably know it's a way of
sorting plastics for the purpose of turning them into new items. You
probably won't know how this process came into being...
...until you read Elise Moser's What Milly Did.
In 1978 Milly Zantow (who was born in 1923) had an epiphany.
She'd seen the elaborate ways Japanese people recycled. Returning
home, she learned that her local landfill was not only near capacity,
but leaking toxins into the water. She climbed to the top and spent a
day observing just what was being dumped in it. She found that a lot
of the rubbish was plastic, a substance that takes an incredibly long
time to break down.
Milly took it upon herself to take plastics from trash to
recycling. She learned all she could about them by reading, talking
to experts, and conducting research. Any time an obstacle arose she
tackled it head on rather than giving up.
What Milly Did is an inspiring reminder that one person can
really make a big difference.
I'm deeply troubled by the fact that many people and families
have to have beloved companion animals prematurely euthanased because
they can't afford vetinary surgery. I am at the very beginning of
starting an organization to raise money to help with this. The vets
and future vets in this area say it's a major need. I plan to be like
Milly and let nothing stand in my way.
What's bugging you? What can you do about it?
On a purrsonal note, yesterday was one of my favorite days of the
year. We set the clock forward. It felt amazing to eat supper and do
dishes in daylight. Longer days really energize me.
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to engage more girls
and women in STEM careers: both individuals like my daughter, Amber,
and organizations like UMaine's Rising Tide Center.
jules hathaway


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