She once told me that my heart was "too big" for this world and I should be using this to help our Earth. The story begins with that bit advice: help our mother Earth.
I'm not sure if you've ever seen the children's movie, FernGully, it is a beautiful film that uses animation and childhood creativity to show the destruction that mankind has had on our rain forests. The movie follows a group of fairies and woodland creatures who live in a rain forest in Australia, as their home is invaded by a logging company who destroys the forest. The film truly captures the dangers of deforestation and how fragile our ecosystems are. (I recommend hopping on Netflix right now and binge watching it). My mom says that at one point in my childhood she had to hide the VHS tape from me because I would watch it every single day and cry because how terrible man can be. Now, I'll admit that I may be a sensitive person who "feels" a lot but this movie has truly tugged on my heart strings for most of my life. The story goes, that soon after the first time I watched FernGully, I wanted to make a change, I wanted to protect our forest, I wanted to save our Mother Earth.
How much power does a 9 year old have? Excellent question. I quickly learned that movements and change only occur when your voice is heard and honestly, how many people listen to a child who was barely 4 feet tall? But, with some help from my mom, my voice was heard. In 2002, at age 9, I started a petition to create more access to recycling bins in my neighborhood and school. It took over a year of me and my mother meeting with city officials and discussing the importance of recycling.
It sounds foreign that we wouldn't have recycling bins in our schools but in the early 2000s, it was still quite rare to have them.
Eventually, it happened. There was a bin sitting in front of every house in my neighborhood and in every classroom in my school. Obviously, I didn't do that alone, I have a lot to thank my mother for.
This post isn't meant to advertise the movie (but shameless plug on how much I love it and how great it is), but rather, I want to explain how important our Earth is and how environmental sustainability has been such a close issue to me since I was a child.
The point here, is that our environment has always had a special place in my heart. The ability to get lost in nature, watch the sunrise, see the fireflies at dusk, look for the little dipper at night. All of this. This all won't be able to continue if we don't protect our aching mother Earth.
I'm not saying that each of you should run out and start a recycling initiative in your town, but power starts with knowledge. To make a difference, you have to educate yourself. Learn more about climate control. Read articles about environmental risks. Sit outside in the Midwest in the middle of February and wonder why it's 73 degrees out. Just surround yourself with nature and learn how to protect it.
The dangerous effects of hurting our environment can be seen everywhere, even in our own backyards. Why is California struggling with such an intense drought? Why are different species dying out? Why is it 85 degrees in January when it should barely be 40?
My mother's story always ends with her telling me that I should follow what I "cared" about, what I was passionate about.
This is how I make my decisions. What do I "care" about? What matters?
I urge you to think like this.
Follow your passion and change the world.
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