Trash to Treasure

One of the most exciting parts of the week are Monday and Thursday mornings.  

Trash pick up day.

Britton has a keen ear for hearing the "beepbeepbeep" and the gear shifts turning. 

So today, he was up close and personal with not only a trash truck, but the actual trash MAN.

Below is a letter I wrote to the Sanitation Director of the City of Amarillo.

Hi, My name is Elisa Brown and my eldest son is Britton Brown.

Britton is 3.5 yrs and is in love with cars, trucks, planes, trains, etc.  He especially loves trash trucks.  He even has a green toy trash truck that sounds eerily like the real ones.

We live in the Woodlands and every Monday and Thursday morning, as soon as Britton hears the truck, he makes a mad dash to the window (when it's cold) or to the backyard or driveway (when it's warmer) to see his beloved trash truck. He squats down as the lever goes down, holding his cupped hand like it's a lever, too.  As it comes back up, he slowly stands, his cupped hand pretending to have trash in it, and then dumping it when it gets to the top. He then waves like crazy to our neighborhood driver, but unfortunately, the driver has never waved back.  Britton always tells me "He didn't wave to me, Mommy!" and I answer "He is very busy, maybe next time!".  I figure he has several dumpsters to tend to and not a lot of time.

But that's not the point of this letter.  The point is, that today, we were at a play date at Paramount Baptist off Western St.  As we exited the building and walked to our car, which was parked near the dumpsters, the trash truck was there.  Britton stood wide eyed and in disbelief of his luck.  Not only was he up close to a trash truck, there were THREE dumpsters to be lifted and emptied.

As we made our way to the car, giving the trash truck a wide berth, the driver smiled and waved at my boys.  Britton's first words to me then were, "Mommy!  He waved at me!".  I then approached the driver and asked if I could take a picture of Britton and my other son in front of his truck.  The driver was more than accommodating.  He got out of the truck and kneeled down and took a picture with Britton.  It is attached below.  He also comforted my younger son, Bishop, was up close, the size of the truck was intimidating to him.

I wanted to write in and tell you how wonderful this man was to my kids.  How he was a celebrity in my son's eyes, as in mine for taking the time to make my son happy.  I thanked him several times before we left, but please let him know how what a great deed he performed and I hope he is recognized for his servant heart. 

He said his name was Gaylon.  But his shirt tag said, "Short".