The Sources
I felt like hell this morning – impatient, irritable, frustrated -- other unpleasant things. I knew why. Last night I watched a documentary on genetic engineering then went to bed and read a portion of one of Wendell Berry’s essays describing the destruction of farm lands and small communities.
I refuse to act on the truth – the truth that I think the future is hopeless. At some point, mankind will destroy himself. At the least, the population will be reduced to a fraction of its current level. I don’t think this is a bad thing. It’s simply Nature’s way. The sad part is that we’ll do massive harm to Nature as we destroy ourselves.
Regardless, I refuse to act on this belief. I’ll live as if my actions will make a difference but that’s not the issue today.
The issue is that I felt bad and chose to do something about it. Looking for a solution I visited the blog of a young lady whom I’ve never met but respect. Like all of us, she struggles with injustice, apathy and evil – that uniquely human characteristic. I read her thoughts for today and felt better.
Has anything changed? No! I still believe the future is hopeless but somehow, in some mysterious way, I feel better. It’s amazing that a sense of community with other people, even people we’ve never met, can temper our experiences.
It’s ironic. People are the source of misery and people can be a source of happiness.
I refuse to act on the truth – the truth that I think the future is hopeless. At some point, mankind will destroy himself. At the least, the population will be reduced to a fraction of its current level. I don’t think this is a bad thing. It’s simply Nature’s way. The sad part is that we’ll do massive harm to Nature as we destroy ourselves.
Regardless, I refuse to act on this belief. I’ll live as if my actions will make a difference but that’s not the issue today.
The issue is that I felt bad and chose to do something about it. Looking for a solution I visited the blog of a young lady whom I’ve never met but respect. Like all of us, she struggles with injustice, apathy and evil – that uniquely human characteristic. I read her thoughts for today and felt better.
Has anything changed? No! I still believe the future is hopeless but somehow, in some mysterious way, I feel better. It’s amazing that a sense of community with other people, even people we’ve never met, can temper our experiences.
It’s ironic. People are the source of misery and people can be a source of happiness.
posted by Paul at 11:00 AM
4 Comments:
I confess that I'm a paranoid doomsayer. I will also confess that I will be heartily surprised if civilization, as we now know it, still exists in six years.
I fully expect we will either destroy ourself with a nuclear holocaust or nature will finally tire of being raped and will vomit most of us from her face.
We can only do what we can do, and we should feel good if we can do something.
Nature frankly could care less whether we have good hearts or bad, and will do what it has always done for as long as the Earth hosted life. It is indifferent to us, and does not view us as "special".
Yes, it makes me quezy to think of wiping out cute little girls and my friends and family, but I would not feel to bad if mankind woke up and found itself sterile and no more babies where forthcoming. This wery old world has had enough of us.
Paul,
Wendell Berry has a great one-liner which has helped me immensely:
"though I have considered all the facts, I choose joy."
It works for me.
Tim
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