about human responsibility...

I finished reading the book Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn yesterday. In short, it's about a philosophizing gorilla, (yes, gorilla) who teaches his conclusions about the earth and the human species to a willing and eager student. To be perfectly honest, none of the theories or ideas in the book came as a great shock or revelation, but it still had an impact on me.

We as humans, I should say Westernly Civilized humans, have this completely arrogant idea that the world and all it's fauna and flora "belong" to us. We pat ourselves on the backs for being advanced enough to discover that we are a link in a billion-year evolutionary chain, yet we ignorantly live as though the chain was supposed to end with us. The world's resources are depleting and wars are waged in all parts of the globe. People carry a small amount of worry for an "apocalypse," but disregard the idea that we may be the cause of our own destruction.

Bigger Better Faster Stronger Fatter Smarter etc etc etc

We have progressed at a staggering rate in the last 50 years compared to the last couple of centuries of progress. VCRs were sufficient for a couple of decades before DVD players, but Blue-Ray was a mere three years on DVD's tail. But there are people in the world who live happily and comfortably without any of the conveniences we so take for granted.

God(de)(s) gave us this incredible gift, and we, in turn, took it for our own. Played with fire. Played God. And we are suffering the consequences. I sit here, at my computer, with my Starbucks, in my Banana Republic, thinking about my next meal (which, no matter how poor I think I am, is ALWAYS available), knowing full well that I have the ability to make a small difference. It's not about giving up all of our modern conveniences and living like the Bushmen of Africa. Small changes can make a world of difference. A mere consideration about how my choices affect everything around me will make a difference. Will I change? I talk a helluva game, but do I have the ability to live a simpler, more giving, loving life? Have I become so accustomed to all of these things I think I need that there's no way I can change the way I live so drastically? Like the vast majority of people, will I stand idly by, knowing the damage, feeling badly about it, worrying about the end of days, yet DOING absolutely nothing?

I hope I don't.

I want to be an agent of change.