Captain Planet, he’s a superhero!
When I was staying in the country with my friend Rachael last week, picking blueberries while her grandparents told of the days before electricity, instant electronic communication and racial integration, my heart finally slowed down to a reasonable pace. It’s all always been lovely and screwed up, no matter what anyone does. We’re culturally obsessed with having the greatest impact possible on the world, but what about worrying about doing the least damage? Sustainability is a valuable trend. I want to plant intangible goodness in people, sure, but I also would like to not to mow over all other lifeforms in the process.
My friend’s pastor preached that man is the APEX of god’s green earth as a physically, mentally and spiritually superior being. I think this whole “having dominion” complex makes people focus on man’s physical “reign” on earth, second in importance only to accumulating spiritual “glory.” Unbalance? It is good we can’t ignore our connection to our fields, animals, water and air anymore. I get sick with human obsession alone, and it doesn’t make one a hippie to seriously invest in the implications of eating, dressing, accessorizing and traveling in a way that does not utterly strip the land, emit poison, and exploit our neighbors, human and otherwise. Everyone knows this, but I forget sometimes when there is an easier option.
In preparing for a new apartment and life, it is pretty annoying to purchase almost strictly used items or avoid unneccessary synthetic glam. It shouldn’t be though, because a person ultimately reaps more time and space to enjoy LIFE, real life, like fresh fruit, kisses and library books. The “green” bandwagon gets ya bit by bit by making you feel less like crap, and by gosh by golly I don’t think there is anything scam-like about that.
