It's great. I love it.
No, really. I do.
It's just that, well, shouldn't every day be Earth Day? I know, I know, that line's been used so many times it hardly has any meaning anymore. But really, shouldn't we always be doing whatever we can to help the Earth? I suppose the true purpose of Earth Day is to bring awareness to those that are, well, unaware, and for that reason, I celebrate the day. I'm all about spreading the word! But, for some reason, on this particular Earth Day, I didn't feel much like celebrating. I have a feeling hormones and crazy children had something to do with my mood, but I think it was more than that.
I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if we are destined to kill ourselves off, or if, as Wall-E predicted, we'll just blast our fat asses out into space (and honestly, I think I prefer the former). All I know is that for us to have any chance of surviving on this beautiful planet we call home, a drastic shift in thought and action is required. The way we are living is completely unsustainable, on so many levels, and we can talk about reducing our carbon footprints until the cows come home and it won't make a lick of difference unless we change the very core of our relationship with Mother Earth.
Quite simply, we need to love the Earth. In the same way that we love our mothers and our fathers and our children and our friends. We take and we take and we take and we seem to feel so entitled to all of this taking, and yet, what do we give back? We are stripping the land, decimating the oceans, poisoning the air, and treating our fellow creatures as mere commodities. How can we believe that this relationship is healthy? How can we believe that it will last? Would we treat our own mothers this way? Our children? Our romantic partners? Perhaps. But is it healthy when we do?
On this Earth Day, and every day hereafter, I encourage you to commune with nature. It can be hard to find sometimes, but it is out there! Go to the beach. Go to the woods. Go to the mountains, the hills, the river, the lake, your own freaking backyard even! Put down the cell phone, turn off the music, leave the camera at home. And just breathe her in. Because she is wild and wonderful, mysterious and magnificent. And she's the only one we've got. If we can all just realize how much we love her (and I use the word 'realize' here because I truly believe that, deep down, under all the layers of fear and technology, we all feel connected to nature), then we can start acting upon that love. When we are aware of the symbiotic relationship we have with the Earth, and all her inhabitants, we choose to take care of her, and them, not only because it is beneficial to us, but because it is beneficial for all.
Happy Earth Day, Everyone. Go plant a tree. And then hug it, like you mean it! :)
Your artwork is awesome. I so wanted to do something for Earth Day, but I've been feeling so crappy and not motivated.
ReplyDeleteLove you!