A moment that changed me: my grandpa risks his life to litter pick – and he taught me a profound lesson

Esme Gordon-Craig with her grandfather, Nicholas. Photograph: Courtesy of Esme Gordon-Craig

I’ve always thought of myself as a good person: a good citizen and a good member of my community – at least in the ethical sense of the word. I presumed being good required refraining from harming the world and the people within it. An example of this being that I never litter.

However, when I moved home to Staffordshire after graduating in the summer of 2025, my understanding of what it means to be a good citizen – what it means to be “good” altogether – changed significantly.