"Security is mostly a superstition. Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." – Helen Keller
Life feels dangerous. It feels exposed and vulnerable. And even knowing that security and, for that matter, control over life events is mostly an illusion -- something we humans make up to make us feel better -- the daring adventure of life often seems more like a carnival ride gone completely haywire. How do you cope when the adventure gets a little too daring? Stop the world, I want to get off!!
The bizarre juxtaposition between outrageous, unbelievably tasteless, crass and scary political antics on the US Presidential campaign trail and devastating, horrific terrorist attacks and refugee suffering leaves the mind spinning wildly, trying to find some sense in it. There isn't any to be found. It's easy to let the tide of negativity engulf and take us under. And yet, and yet...every morning there is a sunrise and every evening a stunning, unique sunset like the one I photographed above that soothe the soul and feed the spirit. Nature always does that for me. Just when I start to completely lose my way in the crush of the craziness, God paints another incredible sunset or rainbow on the sky, and I feel reassured, comforted.
This Earth Day, I am reaffirming my commitment to protect our beautiful planet. I've been doing so since I was a teenager, reading Thoreau's Walden and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. I'm letting go of the things I can't change and concentrating on having the biggest impact possible on those things which I can influence. Fighting some of the same battles to protect dolphins and whales, manatees (and panthers and elephants and turtles and wolves and wild horses) that were being fought 30 years ago. Meeting head-on the challenges of global climate change, striving to keep fossil fuels in the ground and create a safe, economically sound alternative clean energy grid. Working against the multinational corporate greed that's plundering our precious natural resources of food and water with no accountability. Promoting organic, sustainable agriculture. Educating, blogging, speaking, doing, changing -- one step at a time. Watching more sunsets to inspire hope and knowing at the heart level, the Earth is worth every ounce of protection we can offer. After all, good planets are hard to find. This is our only home. She needs our help as never before.
The bizarre juxtaposition between outrageous, unbelievably tasteless, crass and scary political antics on the US Presidential campaign trail and devastating, horrific terrorist attacks and refugee suffering leaves the mind spinning wildly, trying to find some sense in it. There isn't any to be found. It's easy to let the tide of negativity engulf and take us under. And yet, and yet...every morning there is a sunrise and every evening a stunning, unique sunset like the one I photographed above that soothe the soul and feed the spirit. Nature always does that for me. Just when I start to completely lose my way in the crush of the craziness, God paints another incredible sunset or rainbow on the sky, and I feel reassured, comforted.
This Earth Day, I am reaffirming my commitment to protect our beautiful planet. I've been doing so since I was a teenager, reading Thoreau's Walden and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. I'm letting go of the things I can't change and concentrating on having the biggest impact possible on those things which I can influence. Fighting some of the same battles to protect dolphins and whales, manatees (and panthers and elephants and turtles and wolves and wild horses) that were being fought 30 years ago. Meeting head-on the challenges of global climate change, striving to keep fossil fuels in the ground and create a safe, economically sound alternative clean energy grid. Working against the multinational corporate greed that's plundering our precious natural resources of food and water with no accountability. Promoting organic, sustainable agriculture. Educating, blogging, speaking, doing, changing -- one step at a time. Watching more sunsets to inspire hope and knowing at the heart level, the Earth is worth every ounce of protection we can offer. After all, good planets are hard to find. This is our only home. She needs our help as never before.
