the amount of food thrown away in the US alone (about 50% of what we produce),
I am worried about where all the dirty diapers, tampons, pads, q-tips, paper towels, ziploc bags, go when their one time use is over,
I am worried about the genetically altered plants and animals we eat robbing us of nutrition,
I am worried about the toxic waste the meat packing industry, coal industry creates, all giant factories really,
I am worried about the medicalization of natural bodily processes and mental "imperfections",
I am worried about our antibacterial, germaphobic, overly cautious and therefore immune weakening ideals and practices,
I am worried about the slave labor we need to keep this illusion of grander going,
I am worried about everyone else's concern with Brittany Spears' recovery and Charlie Sheens' newest shenanigan,
I am worried about thinking I need a whole fresh bowl of water to be flushed away with each of my sacred urinations or toxic poos; meanwhile some kid sits alone for two days in the Sahara desert while his nomad father fetches the same amount of water to sustain them for a short while,
I am worried about Lil' Waynes newest misogynistic homophobic thug lifestyle enthusiastic song,
I am worried about all the empty houses, condemned buildings, abundance of strip malls and SUVs,
I am worried about unexplained mass animal deaths,
I am worried about the definition of my survival being my employment status,
I am worried about the isolation technology has created,
I am worried about the fact that I HAVE a choice about marriage, my weight, my finances, my leisure, my appearance, my reproduction, my location, which university i want to attend ...
... and this is just as far as the U.S. and me are concerned ...
mass rape in the Congo,
obstetric fistulas that ostracize tens of thousands of women in rural villages,
the disappearance of the ancient Ainu culture, and any indigenous tradition and way of life,
children coal mining in South America,
pollution and corruption in Brazil,
stifling communism in North Korea,
children dying on the railways between the US and Mexico,
starvation everywhere,
Sex trafficking everywhere,
coral reefs dying ....
This isn't to say look at all these issues I am aware of, look how smart I am, and I am not some human rights activist for caring. How can you not care? This is your world too, just because it doesn't affect you directly doesn't mean it is dismissible by any means or that you can't directly help fix it. These are human problems, so unless you are a highly intelligent dolphin (in which you are affected too :-) or an extra terrestrial, then let's get on it!
But how?
No donations,
No 5Ks,
No flyers,
No posters,
No t-shirts,
No seminars,
No documentaries,
No campaigns,
No politics,
No stickers,
Let's not do anything that will create even more garbage (by this I mean unnecessary physical matter). We live in an amazing time where the internet is relatively harmless as far as environmental impact, although, the whole world wide energy crisis is a whole other ball game, but it can span the gap in seconds ... anyway, even gathering in a group and rising against isn't gonna do it, no riots, bombs, sabotaging "property", think about how Occupy turned out ... I was there, it was beautiful, but somewhat fruitless, if we did it up Egypt style maybe ... but that's kinda dangerous ... revolution on a world wide scale maybe ...
So many No's, I know, so here is my philosophy, my two cents, what keeps me up at night, the dream...
We all need five things to have a perfect, fulfilling, no impact life ... ready
FOOD,
WATER,
SHELTER,
PHYSICAL SAFTEY,
LOVE
that's it ... if your entire day was concerned with these things, life would be at its purest most fulfilling state. I mean directly, not food via grocery store, water via turning on the faucet, shelter via condo, love via texts ending in *XOXO*. I want to touch the source and origin of all of these, but while I have it in the bag, while for the most part these things are sooooo easy for me, I can help someone else achieve these essentials, and in turn, by lowering my extravagance and excess and lessening their struggle, it levels out.
This isn't philanthropy, or charity, or condescension, it isn't a hand-out, this isn't some saintly god-complex, it's just leveling the playing field, in biological terms it's diffusion, in political terms it is a singular mission of mass communism (i made that up). Of course it is futile, of course all the world won't be fixed, but I can't keep thinking in these big terms and pictures, grand encompassing ordeals, one big solution, quick fixes, complacent actions, false progress, blind progress (KONY 2012 ha ha).
Take it one day at a time? Take it one interaction at a time ... one life at a time. I have the chance, the opportunity, the privilege, to take out massive loans and get educated (still debating wether or not that is overrated, defiantly wasteful), go on a big plane and put myself in a difficult situation, I have to fly somewhere else to make myself struggle, crazy! I can ponder the problems others must encounter because obviously I am so damn comfy. I want less, I need less, I could survive on so little, so much less, and in turn I could gain so much more. While I am safe, warm, fed, watered, rich in these superficial monetary terms, I am poor in love, poor in communication, meaningful interpersonal relationships, poor in spirit, poor in understanding, poor in consideration, poor in thankfulness ...
I can give away these physical things, and in turn learn about how to gain a soul ... I'm done valuing the wrong things ... I mean, I want to be, but I still toss and turn at night, I still talk big and don't break out, I am still scared and waiting for someone else to make me, show me how, but it is getting to a point ... I want to give all my crap away that holds me down, hop on my bicycle with a couple saddle bags and go volunteer at organic farms, homeless shelters, birthing centers, and domestic violence safe houses across america. I want to dumpster dive and sleep on your couch, or in a sleeping bag by the lake, I want to gain a skill or gift that i can take anywhere, a knowledge of something helpful and in no way harmful, how to deliver a baby, fix a bike, give a back massage, sculpt sand, sew up holes in socks and pants, show you what plants you can and can't eat, speak another language, cut hair ... just those sorts of things ... I have the means to learn, just gotta get off my ass and do it!!! Stop consuming and use what we have, i need nothing new, really truly, sincerely, none of us do...
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