Dear Life,
So, remember that virus thing that you made the world do for like A YEAR (more, actually)? Remember how it really put the hurt on some people emotionally and financially and all of the other -ally things that pertain? I came across a documentary recently, The Year Earth Changed. It showed how impactful humanity really is on nature. And how nature responds when given the space. (P.S. I have no connection whatsoever to the film or the organization - there's no compensation for my thoughts on this piece, so this really is my perspective on what I learned from watching it.)
It's a truly beautiful film and inspiring.
While it wasn't a slap in the face to many human behaviors relative to waste and environmental impact, it was clearly present and obvious. The only reason why these beautiful things happened was that nature was able to breathe for a year. I can't stop thinking about how we pursue and achieve finding better human/nature balance in a manner that would allow these animals and life to continue to flourish even after we put the pandemic behind us.
Here we are, opening the world again. Here we are, doing all the things that we were doing before, trying to get back to our normals. And chances are nature, to deal with it, will go back to what she had to do to survive. I just...in personifying the film, don't know how to give nature more of a chance when she's not always the first thing we as a society consider to care about. Until, you know, it's dire and it's in our faces, and sometimes beyond salvage (like when species go extinct). But consider a part of this film: In India, during the pandemic, the Himalayan mountains were suddenly clearly visible in certain cities. When people stopped driving and stayed home, the atmosphere was less polluted, and as a result, the air quality improved drastically. Citizens of those communities were astounded, standing on their roofs and looking toward the mountain range in awe, as they had never realized they were there.
So, I know already. You're sitting there thinking that the key phrase was 'stopped driving.' Then you're yelling, "YOU CAN'T TELL ME NOT TO DRIVE. I DON'T CARE HOW AMAZING NATURE MAY BE." Yeah, I get that. And my intentions are not to shut down the automobile industry. I don't think it's an all-or-nothing. I think there are simple things we can do in full awareness that are more gentle to the environment and all she offers.
There are many other examples in the film. And they're presented in a way that the beauty and the positive effects hit you. But at the threshold of 'getting back to normal' what about nature? Seriously. Can we live as a species and make space for nature? We can, but it's not easy for everyone. And I feel like sometimes it's because we're in a similar space: 'I didn't even know it was there.' But it is.
If we're talking about major changes, perhaps that in and of itself is difficult to perceive. I think when I draw it back only to myself, there are decisions that I can make that I believe will positively impact nature in observance of her amazing-ness.
- I can be mindful about where I spend my money. Duh, right? But this is real. What am I doing/spending money on that could be impacting nature? Probably lots of things. Do I care enough to learn about them? Do I care enough to be cognizant of where my food/products/etc come from and what happens to the waste created therefrom?
- I can be mindful of nature in my community. We have deer and geese and ducks, and I see lots of people out there feeding them with bread...which is actually really not great for the animals. I believe in earnest that not everyone knows that but that their intentions are good. I can show that example in the way I feed them. Or I can do things that I know would help the wildlife - like leaving water in the tree break behind my house when the weather is crazy hot.
- I can be mindful. I can think about the things I do and the solutions I hope to bring to the world. Even if I'm not perfect, I can do better each day. Trying matters.
What hurts is the thought that one (humanity) or the other (nature) has to suffer. There's a way to meet in the middle, but it demands change and care. What we do impacts everything around us. I just...want to be a force for good and positively impactful. I'd like my children and grandchildren to live in a place where nature thrives. So, I need to do things now that will increase that likelihood for them in the future. That's what I can do.
J.
