Going strawless

(Photo by Ian L/FreeRangeStock.com)

Back in March, I wrote about a blog post I had come across titled "8 bits of plastic you can quit right now," and one of the "8 bits" was the drinking straw.

Based on my Facebook feed over the past couple of weeks, I think going strawless might be catching on, as at least three of my friends have recently shared a link to another article talking about giving up straws.

But for me at least, I've found going strawless isn't as easy as I thought it'd be. I didn't realize how attached I was to those silly bits of plastic. For instance, have you ever been drinking a glass of water and crushed ice without a straw and when you tipped cup up to take a drink, a whole mass of ice and liquid slammed against your upper lip and nose and spilled onto your shirt? That doesn't happen when you have a straw.

Straw also mean you can take a coffee or tea or soda or whatever your favorite drink with you when you're on the go. You can cover the top of the cup with a lid to keep it from spilling, and using a straw means you never have to take that protective lid off.

So it didn't take me long to realize I like having a straw.

But the author of "8 bits of plastic" has that covered. She recommends buying metal straws that you carry around with you. I'm up for that; I just haven't bought any yet. But once I do buy them, then I'll have another problem: Getting past feeling weird about telling a server at a restaurant, "We don't need straws. We brought our own." As I reach into my oversized handbag and pull out my metal straws.

I have cut back on the straws I use, but I haven't completely cut them out of my life. But I'm determined to get there.

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