Every Tuesday, this column has to be ready for print as we go to press late that afternoon. Coming up with ideas on what to write is sometimes difficult. I am not an opinionated person so most of my columns are about personal experiences, sports, or life in general.

This week I was going to write about the importance of getting enough sleep. Another thought was to stay on the theme of basketball (last week’s column) by comparing college players of today and when I began watching the sport in earnest in the 1970s. Both of those ideas I will put in the reserve folder.

However, for some unknown reason, I woke up Tuesday thinking about the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” It rolled over and over in my mind as I prepared to get out of bed. Perhaps it was because I brought the three bags from inside the house to the outside bins on Monday afternoon after work.

The origin of that phrase is unknown but it is thought to have been first used in the 1970s and the advent of the first Earth Day.

The three bags that I will later move to their final destinations were the returnable bottles and cans, garbage, and recyclable material, such as mixed paper, milk jugs, magazines/newspapers, etc.

It is a ritual we’ve been doing for years and I guess it has been ingrained in our minds since we grew up in the ’70s and we want to protect the environment. Maine has been at the forefront of recycling for decades and our lakes, streams and roadsides (for the most part) are cleaner for it.

We could do better – I guess I could do better by starting a composting program – as the amount of garbage piling up around the world seems to be a problem.

But I think wars, politics and immigration have taken over our politicians’ agendas.

Anyway, let’s remember and do our part – “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.”