Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Author Unknown
The Earth
If the earth were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around it, marvelling at its great pools of water, its little pools and the water flowing between the pools. People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water. The people would declare it precious because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to behold it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love it and defend it with their lives, because they would somehow know that their lives, their own roundness, could be nothing without it. If the earth were only a few feet in diameter.
I read this and thought about the new love in my life, whose heart is so good, that he is brought to tears when he observes the thoughtless abuse we inflict often on this planet. To him, Earth is a family member and he hurts when it hurts. I also dedicate this blog to the plastic bags i now think to take with me to the grocery store, the tap that i shut off when i brush my teeth, the food choices that are i never thought i would make, the questions i now ask about composting and biodiesel. There is still so much that i, that you, that we can do. Sometimes i feel helpless and lectured and defensive and tired and i chuck something in the garbage that could be recycled. Then there are days, like today, that i lift my face into the rain and breathe in the damp air and whisper, i love you.
Let us marvel.
If the earth were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around it, marvelling at its great pools of water, its little pools and the water flowing between the pools. People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water. The people would declare it precious because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to behold it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love it and defend it with their lives, because they would somehow know that their lives, their own roundness, could be nothing without it. If the earth were only a few feet in diameter.
I read this and thought about the new love in my life, whose heart is so good, that he is brought to tears when he observes the thoughtless abuse we inflict often on this planet. To him, Earth is a family member and he hurts when it hurts. I also dedicate this blog to the plastic bags i now think to take with me to the grocery store, the tap that i shut off when i brush my teeth, the food choices that are i never thought i would make, the questions i now ask about composting and biodiesel. There is still so much that i, that you, that we can do. Sometimes i feel helpless and lectured and defensive and tired and i chuck something in the garbage that could be recycled. Then there are days, like today, that i lift my face into the rain and breathe in the damp air and whisper, i love you.
Let us marvel.
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