Forever Earthbound
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Wrestling with Reality

12/3/2017

0 Comments

 
       Ever since they were toddlers, Lonny and Chet loved to roughhouse with each other.  Born just a few weeks apart, these cousins were practically inseparable.  Chet and Lonny loved to try to out-maneuver each other on the wrestling mat.  In high school they were co-captains of the squad that went to state their senior year.

       Then Lon Starr’s family moved to Houston, Texas.  Meanwhile, Chet Arre remained in small town Wisconsin.  At the annual holiday family reunions, they love to gab about their wrestling glory days and catch up on the changes in their lives.  But one “change” topic, namely climate change, was off limits.  They once tussled over that topic, and it almost ruined their friendship.  “Well, at least it’s not happening yet,” was Lonny’s final remark.

       The next year, 2011, Lonny told about the severe drought back home in Texas.  “You can drop a penny 8 ft. down into cracks in the parched soil.  It’s the driest and 2nd hottest year on record!”  Later, Cousin Sally happened to make a comment about the changing climate.  “Well, at least it’s not happening yet,” Lonny mumbled as he quickly changed the subject.

       Chet’s family brought their new dog to the 2013 reunion. “Yeah, we had to take Lucy to the vet because a deer tick bit her, and she got Lyme disease.  Can’t believe those ticks are still around this late in the fall.”  Later, during the evening news broadcast, one segment mentioned climate change.  “Well, at least it’s not happening yet,” Lonny muttered as he left the room.

       In 2015 Houston was drenched with a “500 year” flood.  The same thing happened in 2016 causing Lonny’s flight to be delayed.  “Aren’t those supposed to happen on average once every 500 years?” Chet asked when Lonny finally arrived.  Apparently not anymore, because Hurricane Harvey flooded Lonny’s home this past year – another “500 year” flood. 

       That evening when Aunt Ethel was paging through the daily paper Lonny eyed the lead article referring to recent climate change research.  It said to expect more droughts, an increase in vector-borne (bug carried) diseases, and more extreme weather events.  “Well,” Lonny said, “at least it’s not happening…  huh, maybe it is.  I guess I need to wrestle a bit more with the evidence because we need to protect the only home we’ll ever know where we’re forever… Earthbound.”
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I'm interested in the topics of sustainability and climate change especially in regards to our local area in southwest Wisconsin.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

    Categories

    All
    Carbon Fee And Dividend
    Carbon Sequestration
    Climate Change
    Extreme Weather
    Health
    Local Food
    Lymes Disease
    Mercury Pollution
    Renewable Energy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.