OUR EARTH - HOW AMAZING IS SHE, I HOPE SHE STAYS THIS WAY.....
I originally called this Climate Conversations, which is soothing that I hosted last thursday. I wondered though if that title would put people off reading - more about the climate and global warming, do you really want to hear about it?!?….
This is and isn’t about that! As usual I’ll sway into and out of the topic - this is as munch about my own thoughts and feelings about the world, the state of it and how to live in it…
Not too much to ponder hey!!..
To start with - why do I care, why spend my time organising an evening to hear about the climate and discuss what we can do about it?… Great question and I often ask myself it, what can I do and how much difference can I make?. Same as why am I doing my trash walks? It’s only been 2 weeks now but I am keen/motivated to continue… Why do I discuss with friends the future of the Earth, use earth friendly products (I think they are..), volunteer in soup kitchens and to clean old people’s places, use a bamboo toothbrush ( not that impressed by it) and why don’t I eat meat (again)…?
And why am I prepared to blog about my thoughts!!
To be honest, it starts with me - when I do these things I feel good, I feel part of the larger picture and that I am doing a small bit for everyone and everything. It’s mainly though that I feel good about myself (is that selfish??!!). There are a few things I do that aren’t so kind to the Earth, I use way too much paper, sometimes smoke and the way I shop produces so much plastic which is a bit out of my hands, and I cut down as much as I can - and I’m not always being the best version of myself. I am human and do cut myself slack don’t worry!!…
There is only so much we can do given the modern day world we live in, and I am trying to do what I can.
So why?!?
Other than to feel good in myself…. Why do I care that much that I’ll walk and pick up rubbish?
Well I like to live in a clean place, where I can safely walk about bare foot, see the countryside not the rubbish and be considerate for nature. I wonder about people who litter - what are their homes like?!! Would they leave trash on the living room floor? If we considered the Earth as one big living room maybe we’d take better care..? I expanded this as I walked along - our homes are not just the walls we live in, however they are built. The structure is simply somewhere we take shelter in - home for me is the Earth around me and without it I wouldn’t be able to exist. How do we all want to treat this larger ‘home’…??
As I was out the other day, I walked past a temple and there was litter outside. I bet there wouldn’t be inside… Same as all other religious places, I have a feeling they would be clean inside and no one would leave their trash or cigarette butts inside… Why? I’m guessing because it’s a sacred place, a place of worship to be in touch with whatever higher power you believe in.
Can we view the world as one big temple/church/mosque?? If we did what might happen?
Why do I aim to use less plastic and produce less waste? My heart sinks when I see the oceans and the amount of crap in them and when it is caught around an animals neck, or it dies because it’s belly is full of bags. If it was your pet cat, dog, rabbit or child who went to swallow say a plastic bottle top, what would you do? I’m going to guess you’d pull it from their hands/mouth and possibly throw it on the ground and tell the person/animal off…. Now imagine if it wasn’t there in the first place….. that they didn’t have the opportunity to pick it up, or you didn’t have to worry about it happening. That’s our oceans and how those creatures live, but they don’t have someone telling them not to or pulling it away from them.
Next - meat…. A few reasons. Over the last 20 years I have not eaten it and then I have then not then yes… My morals have never liked me eating it, my body it doesn’t mind either way! Bottom line is I don’t want to kill things the way they are in the meat industry - it is totally inhumane and not the way any living creature deserves to be treated. There is the knock on effect to the environment, but that is secondary to me and it is pretty easy to be a vegetarian in the Western world nowadays.
I like conversations around the topic, as I learn more, am better informed and also get to understand people’s resistance to change, and see a different view point. Knowing that helps to bring in change and overcome the resistance! Also when I talk to like minded people, I don’t feel on my own! There are many of people who care as I do - and more, finding them and coming together gives me hope that we will make a difference!!
I volunteer because it keeps me grounded, it is easy to get carried away with the small stuff - first world problems and blow things out of proportion. When I go and make meals for those who can’t leave their homes, or see the elderly in their one room place, making the best of things - I am kept real. It reminds me that I live a great life, full of opportunities and that it is possible to put time aside for others who have less. To see the smiles on the oldies faces is priceless - and it fills me up knowing they got pleasure out of such a simple thing as a visit, some food and some smiles.
I am still working on myself and how I live and what I can do, and still be able to live life and not be taken over by plastic and waste, and guilt when I use things! It’s not about that, but about thinking a little bit more than we might do about the impact we have on the world around. The thing is I want this earth to thrive and all those in it - not just humans, and I have no one after me to worry about - my genes stop with me. But I want to leave it great for those who follow whenever that is, they deserve a planet that is clean, and bountiful and one in which all creatures can live together…..
Now how to stop war…?!?!?