My husband Jim and I are big Star Wars fans, so when we saw a talking Yoda at Target a couple years ago, we just had to buy him.  Yoda cost $30, which was a nice chunk of change for us at the time.  But he talked!  He had no practical purpose at all, unless you count retelling us all the Star Wars stories in very halted Yoda-ese.  But he was so cute!  We splurged and brought him home.

After about a month’s worth of mild entertainment, Yoda was set on the top shelf of a bookcase.  There he remains.  And how the heck am I supposed to throw him away?  He still works.  He’s still cute.  But he’s just turned into clutter.  Yoda’s got to go.

I tell you this story as a cautionary tale about all things “green.” 

I wouldn’t be in this dilemma about throwing Yoda out now if we hadn’t even bought him.  In Target, I forgot the first of the three R’s: Reduce.  By reducing the amount of objects we buy and acquire, we reduce the amount of clutter that we end up shuffling around, dusting (or not), and then having to eventually throw out.  For those of us who have a particularly difficult time throwing things away, it’s even more important to be careful about what we obtain in the first place.

So, next time you are considering buying your version of a talking green doll with pointy ears, remember this Yoda story.  And may the force be with you.