Every year on the third Saturday of September organizations around the country celebrate National Clean Up Day, with efforts aimed at reducing litter and cleaning up their local communities, parks, trails, water fronts, and open spaces.

The goal is to keep the land pristine so future generations can enjoy it as we have. You can join a group or even start your own in an area of your choice. The question that should be asked is “why wait.” Why wait all year to do something once a year that should be done everyday.

You can simply go for a walk around your neighborhood or local park and pick up any trash you see. A small action like that may seem small, but every action adds up to the cumulative effect of all of us working collectively in a cleanup effort. In preparation for the entire month of September being considered national cleanup month, get started now. It’s everyone’s responsibility, including our local government.

Some communities have cleanup days and city employees pitch in to help citizens unload their trash and unwanted items in dumpsters. It’s a small price to pay for the benefit it brings to the community and blighted neighborhoods. It’s also a health issue, physically and mentally. Any community that is not willing to use taxpayer dollars in such a positive way as having a cleanup day a few times a year, simply doesn’t have the best interest of their citizens at heart. There is just no excuse period.

Visitors are bound to be inspired when they see there have been cleanup efforts, Any time you pick up trash, you are creating a positive impact, but that impact can be even greater if everyone works together. That means neighbors, city and county officials, and those from out of our area who work here. The key however is not to expect one day a year to make a difference. It’s an everyday and everyone’s job. It’s a responsibility we should all take seriously.

The phrase for crying out loud originated in the United States in the 1920s, and the cartoonist Thomas Aloysius Dorian is credited with popularizing the idiom, however it’s no laughing matter when it’s used to express frustration, exasperation, and annoyance over the amount of garbage, trash and litter consuming our roadways and communities. Some of our elected officials are doing a good job of cleaning up their community, others not so much! For those working to make it better, keep it up, your outdoor areas and your community appreciate you.