It's not easy being Green

Normally I really don't care too much about the Earth. I do my part, just like everyone else, but I don't really go above and beyond to make sure that out planet still exists when our children's children are here. I recycle glass and plastic, paper and cardboard, and use public transportation (because I don't have a car and it's my only way to get around town.) I figure that those things are good enough for me to to claim that I am helping out in the cause to save our planet. There are some things that I could be doing, like campaigning for our government to make large scale changes, or picketing business that dispose of materials in a manor that hurts our environment, or going out and planting trees and ensuring that nature is protected. There are already people doing that, and I'm sure that they could use more on their side. I could write my congressman and express my concern. I could encourage others who do not recycle to think about the harm they are doing by wasting materials. I could do so much more, but I am not a very proactive person. I care enough to do a little, but don't care enough to make a difference. I simply do not put it at a high enough priority to devote enough time to this cause. I've got so much else going on in my life, but then again, who doesn't? We find time for the things that are important, so I guess this isn't important to me.

But it should be. I have no doubt that the Earth will be the same as it is today during my tenure on this planet. I'll only be here for another 60 years tops, which isn't enough time (although it could be, we never know) for a complete meltdown of all natural resources. I believe that when I die, the grass will still be green, the sky and water will still be blue, and the Earth will still look fantastic from space. I don't have kids, so it's hard for me to make changes now so that they will benefit from our efforts instead of paying dearly for our mistakes. I'm sure that your whole outlook on life changes once you have children because you end up being responsible for another person and make decisions based upon their best interest. I used to say who cares, I won't be here to deal with it should the Earth get all messed up. But I should care.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days at the Atlantic Ocean near Melbourne, Fl. Those few days were absolutely wonderful. It kind of got me thinking - what if I was unable to go outside and enjoy beautiful weather? What if we are unable to swim or play in the water because it was toxic? What if we couldn't leave our houses because we couldn't breathe the air? I also visited the NASA Space Center in Cape Canaveral, and thought about how lucky and fortunate that we are to have a planet to live on. All of the other planets in our solar system do not have the capability of supporting human life. Where do we go if we screw up our planet? Nowhere, because there is nowhere to go. If we kill our planet, we die right alongside it. I sat in my Dad's backyard underneath a palm tree and enjoyed every single second of hit. I closed my eyes, felt the sun on my face, listened as the slight breeze blew through the yard, and laid down on the moist grass. Some day, someone may not be able to do that. That's frightening to think that someone cannot share in that same simple joy that I felt just a few days ago.

I guess I will keep an open mind in the future about changing my habits and promoting new ones to others, looking for the things that I can do to make the future a brighter place for all of Earth's inhabitants, not just the humans. We all share this one planet, and we all gotta try not to mess it up. I do what I can do for now, and remain open about future possibilities. I go to sleep every night with the comfort of knowing that I'm at least doing something, but is it enough? I don't think it will ever be enough. For everyone who gives 100%, there's a person out there who gives 0%. It seems like everyone would be canceled out, but if everyone does nothing, then we're screwed. Personally, I'd love to break even most of the time and win every so often so that we win in the long run. We can only hope. Some may say that I care and post this only because it is Earth Day, and you're kind of right. It gave me the idea, but it's a start and all it takes is a good idea and a good imagination to get things rolling in the right direction. Here's hoping that I follow up on this idea.

So go outside and enjoy the world. Do a little bit to help keep it Green and fantastic. Sit around for a little and listen to nature. Carpool or take the bus instead of driving. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Care about what your actions are doing to the planets. Think before you drink. I feel better off for writing this, even though I feel like it is falling on deaf ears. I know that no one reads this, but if 1 person does and stops to think about their impact on the environment, then I have done my job. It's really not easy being green, but I'll sure as hell try.

- pookon -

www.pookon.com