Corruption or ineptitude. Probably a combination of the two. Anna was incensed that the county suspended e-waste recycling due to “cost issues.” Anna cynically believed the decision was about more than the price.
Anna felt the need to take action. Over the years, she’d written enough letters, collected countless signatures, and met with dozens local representatives. Those were all dead end strategies. Then a realization hit. An idea to get attention and change minds. Still, she needed a co-conspirator. Anna needed Blake. He was the only person who would understand her plan. They hadn’t spoken in months. After their break-up, Blake tried to backpack across America, but turned around two days in after deciding he’d rather the adventure of brewing an eco-friendly craft beer. A friend had tried the beverage, and compared it to a flat, yeasty soda. The same friend told Anna where to find him. Blake was living in a micro-unit apartment he built from a shipping container. Anna could tell he wasn’t over her. She only got through explaining the first part of her plan before he agreed to help. The plan was straightforward: - Organize their own e-waste collection. - Create a life-size plastic cast of the state senator who first proposed suspending e-waste recycling. - Fill in the plastic cast with the defunct computers, VCRs, cellphones and other obsolete electronics. - Leave the sculpture (and an accompanying explanatory plaque) in front of the statehouse. They constructed the statue behind Blake’s shipping container. Like mad scientist they worked late into the night assembling their creation. The night before the statue’s unveiling, they were up well past midnight adding the finishing touches. He added a wig. She pinned a flag to the plastic senator’s lapel. They both slept a few hours on Blake’s futon. In the early morning, they delivered their statue. They hadn’t considered that once the sun rose the plastic mold would serve as an oven. The electronic rubbish superheated. Corrosive waste leached out of the casing, and the art installation began to spark. A bomb squad was called in. By noon, Anna received a frantic phone call from the State Senator’s Office. She and Blake rushed back to the state capitol, and were escorted to the senator’s office. In public, the senator kept a humorous tone at his press conference, joking, “Guess I just don’t get modern art.” And followed that punch line with “there’s gotta be an easier way to insult me.” Privately, the senator was furious. He lectured like a condescending schoolteacher. “You don’t know the half of the trouble you’ve caused,” he yelled. “Besides the obvious damage this caused to my reputation and the capital steps, the worst part is that now I’ll be forced to do something about the e-waste recycling.” Anna smirked. He faced the window and continued ranting. “This was never just about the cost. The union boys were ready to make a big ruckus about who’d have control over those e-waste contracts.” The senator turned to face them again. “Why are you smiling?” She felt like a master artist. Her political activism had finally made a difference.
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About meI’m a producer, writer and storyteller with expertise in digital, print, film, TV & stage productions Archives
March 2018
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