I read an article this morning that helped me to understand what is happening in the United States today.
Automobile makers have been freed of emissions regulations and as a result have resorted back to producing big, heavy, gas guzzling, pollution spewing trucks and abandoning the production of cars.
It occurred to me then that Americans are pining for the past, the glory days of the 50’s and 60’s, when everything was big from hairdo’s to cars. Middle class was rising and becoming wealthy. The space age began. There were big dreams and the economy was booming. The world was large.
But that is the highlight reel.
Out of all the white middle class suburbia and glory came gory.
Racism. Pollution. Abuse. To name only a few.
As we became aware of such things, and realized they were not good, we took steps to fix our messes and evolved to today. I think a lot of stuff in the past was done in ignorance and innocence. We were children then, but now we are adults. No longer innocent or ignorant of our footprint on this world or our impact on the global stage. We pay a huge price for our ways. There are consequences to every action we take.
Todays world is a global community with no options for being isolationist any more. We must learn how to get along and work towards common goals. There is no room for dictators with selfish ambitions, we will all perish under such rulers. Those days should be long behind us.
If we don’t pay attention to our carbon footprint on the environment we are out of time. Where can we go if this world dies?
Forget Star Trek fantasies of the 60’s. The universe is a hostile place and ginormous. There are no planets with handsome men and bodacious women, breathable air and luxuries abounding. You think we are going to flee to Mars or live in satellites where every day is a fight to stay alive? We live on a beautiful planet, our only home. There is no place else to go. We can build huge rocket ships, but to go where exactly? And who gets to go? It only happens in science fiction novels. It is not reality. Forget escaping, we need responsibility. We need to grow up.
The exception to our current giant steps backward is the MeToo movement, a huge step forward for women. That is why I pin my hopes on women to save the world. If we preserve our nurturing, loving nature and combine it with our new found confidence we could end racism, poverty, abuse, pollution and all ills of the world.
It is the bad things in life that make us aware of what we want the world to look like. I am optimistic (though it wavers) – we usually, eventually, take responsibility to make things right again. I did read a hopeful article that said the U.S. has survived many bad things and leaders and picked itself up and moved forward, and this gave me hope. Yes, we can evolve but we have to stop looking backwards. We can look at the crap and decide we’re not going there again.
Likewise, on a personal note, I too have to stop pining for the past and create a whole new me and life.
I think we all should.
Everything is right with the universe once more.
Today as I sat on the paddleboard I was greeted by a curious snapping turtle and an elegant black swan. They checked me out, I said hello and continued on. A busy muskrat let me know not to come to close to her nest as she swam by, slapping her tail at me as she dove.
