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Custom — it's a word that we use to describe whatever it is that we expect given the circumstances.

Let me give you a situation — see if you can relate: you go into a restaurant and sit at the table. Immediately, you're given a glass of water and then the waiter or waitress asks you what to drink. Does that right there not seem counterintuitive to you?

When you order your food, it arrives and it arrives in huge portions. Of course, you immediately feel satisfied that you got a lot. However, does it not seem ironic that you paid too much for it in the first place? Does it not also seem ironic that most people can barely finish the amounts that they're given? It either goes to waste or ends up in a box that you can take home (which isn't a bad idea — It's certainly better than going to waste).

Also, throughout your meal, your waiter or waitress will probably keep refilling your drinks for you. That might be fine and good, but come the end of your meal, if your glass is still being refilled habitually, guess what? That's right: waste.

These things are custom — the expected norm. Well, they don't work too well. During the drought a few years ago here in Denver, restaurants stopped serving water to their patrons automatically unless they requested it. Of course, when you consider the amount of water spent to irrigate the wonderfully manicured green lawns of suburbia, it's like shooting a hideous monster with a toy dart gun, but at least it was a start. Still, after the drought was over and the snow replenished Denver's reservoirs, the custom of prima aqua once again manifested itself.

The situation in the world today is… well… scary to most Americans. Food costs are going up. Gasoline is going up. Air travel costs are going up. Heating costs are going up… you're getting the trend here, right? Up as in more expensive. Now, this all might be scary to most Americans. Me, I'm delighted! I'm thrilled to know that now that this culture is having to pay more for its extravagance, this culture is going to look to ways to eliminate waste. People are driving less and walking more. People are thinking about buying smaller houses to save on energy costs. Energy providers are looking to alternative methods of energy production that in addition to being cheaper are actually more environmentally friendly. Manufacturers are producing products that use less energy or biodegrade easier.

As much as I am optimistic about the recent changes, I fear that most Americans are just too dumb to know how to make a difference and most of them don't care to find out. I cannot get it through some people's heads how dumb it is to turn on the air conditioning and then open a window. I cannot understand why some people will not recycle when the recycle bins are literally right outside their door.

I hope that things get worse… and I only hope that so that people start to make things better.