Three million years is a long time -- today's NYTimes, on the front page, tells us the amount of pollution in the atmosphere is greater now than it was three million years before there was human life on earth. Climate change is not going to happen -- it has happened. We talk about "global warming" -- it HAS happened. We have had unstable weather in every part of the world for many years already. We are small individuals, we cannot deal with these big numbers and big ideas. The front page also talked about a worldwide ring of theives who have stolen many millions of dollars from ATMs and a group of eight young men who couldn't resist going on spending binges. How do these fit together? Only that people live their lives as best they can, possibly think they should enjoy themselves how and when they can and leave the big concerns up to others -- others who are just as human as the theives, just as petty even when they have the statistics in hand. Others who meet and cannot agree on anything to do to curb the increase in pollution -- not only of the atmosphere but out water (our oceans) or earth.
Beasts of field and forest live day to day, moment to moment. We, the big brained ones who have learned to think abstractly, some of whom seek to find answers to large questions -- how big and old is the universe? what makes this planet of ours habitable for life like ours? Did we ever -- and will we ever -- live harmoniously? As one curious enough to want to know about those thoughts and discoveries, but well of aware of my powerlessness in the face of large questions, I ponder in quiet moments and then turn to my every day life and enjoy it as best I can, do the best I can. Awareness is not power but it provides balance when I think of the big news and the small me.
2 comments:
June -- excellent thoughts in your posts. I definitely feel we have become separated into two groups -- those that are so narcissistic that they don't care what they do to life on earth as long as they get what they want and those that love the earth but are rather powerless to change the powerful narcissitic population be they thieves or govt/corporates. Each person could begin to implement change for the good earth by doing one (or more) change/s personally and responsibly. -- barbara
I agree and I feel that the "don't care" group unfortunately still outnumber the ones who care. I look at the world as a whole and see so many places were people are still struggling to survive and rarely think beyond their own immediate needs.
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