Hugh Mankind paused for a moment at the mailbox - M. Nature. He couldn’t help but smile. The cottage ahead had weathered noticeably since his last visit. “Not surprised,” he muttered to himself. Soon, a delightful aroma wafted through the doorway beckoning him in.
“It’s lovely to see you again,” he said a bit sheepishly. “I know I’ve given you a rough time. Our ‘forever’ chemicals (PFAS) and micro-plastics are creeping into every corner of the planet. That, and our dawdling to reduce the use of petroleum products are giving you a fever. And somehow, we just can’t seem to stop ourselves from gobbling up every resource. It’s like we’re in a crazy frenzy to produce and buy ‘stuff’ that’s supposed to make us happy. When it doesn’t, we toss it into one of the great garbage patches oozing across the planet,” Hugh lamented,
Ms. Nature had continued stirring a stew, adding bits of this and that as she took in everything Hugh had to say. “Hmm….,” she thought while eyeing the pantry shelves. “We’ll need a few special ingredients.” Reaching up, she retrieved Courage-to-Change, Long-Range-Thinking and Hope then sprinkled in generous amounts of each before serving Hugh a steaming bowlful.
“That’s all true enough,” Ms. Nature agreed. “Perhaps it’s because you’ve forgotten something. It’s something your ancestors knew instinctively. Today, humans act as if you’re with me only when in my cottage or some lovely outdoor setting. But I am everywhere, and you are part of me as much as any plant or animal is. You’re born; you grow, consume, procreate and make waste like any other living thing. So any harm to me is harm to you too. Try to remember this as you contemplate each next step. Will we be harmed, or will we both thrive and prosper as a result?”
After a bracing bowlful of stew, Hugh went on his way. Later, as he hung up his jacket an envelope dropped from its pocket. It was labeled “Your Future”. Inside was a blank sheet of stationary. “Oh, I get it! “ Hugh smiled. “The future is not yet written. We still CAN create a future that is in harmony with everything else on Earth. Besides, what choice do we have? This is the only home we’ll ever know. It’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”
“It’s lovely to see you again,” he said a bit sheepishly. “I know I’ve given you a rough time. Our ‘forever’ chemicals (PFAS) and micro-plastics are creeping into every corner of the planet. That, and our dawdling to reduce the use of petroleum products are giving you a fever. And somehow, we just can’t seem to stop ourselves from gobbling up every resource. It’s like we’re in a crazy frenzy to produce and buy ‘stuff’ that’s supposed to make us happy. When it doesn’t, we toss it into one of the great garbage patches oozing across the planet,” Hugh lamented,
Ms. Nature had continued stirring a stew, adding bits of this and that as she took in everything Hugh had to say. “Hmm….,” she thought while eyeing the pantry shelves. “We’ll need a few special ingredients.” Reaching up, she retrieved Courage-to-Change, Long-Range-Thinking and Hope then sprinkled in generous amounts of each before serving Hugh a steaming bowlful.
“That’s all true enough,” Ms. Nature agreed. “Perhaps it’s because you’ve forgotten something. It’s something your ancestors knew instinctively. Today, humans act as if you’re with me only when in my cottage or some lovely outdoor setting. But I am everywhere, and you are part of me as much as any plant or animal is. You’re born; you grow, consume, procreate and make waste like any other living thing. So any harm to me is harm to you too. Try to remember this as you contemplate each next step. Will we be harmed, or will we both thrive and prosper as a result?”
After a bracing bowlful of stew, Hugh went on his way. Later, as he hung up his jacket an envelope dropped from its pocket. It was labeled “Your Future”. Inside was a blank sheet of stationary. “Oh, I get it! “ Hugh smiled. “The future is not yet written. We still CAN create a future that is in harmony with everything else on Earth. Besides, what choice do we have? This is the only home we’ll ever know. It’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”
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