Today I witnessed what could be likened to a snow storm, but instead of snow it was maple tree seeds. Though many thought nothing of it, and I heard a similar event happened elsewhere, one touched my bare skin and I immediately became distressed. It was as if in that brief moment, I could see so much that I both have, and have not seen before. My life span in comparison to even the youngest of trees in my neighborhood is negligible. If I'm lucky I will barely be a ring in the wood, let alone a wrinkle or crevice in the bark of their lives. These trees have and will outlive many generations, including that of my descendants. In the spherical, constantly changing stream of time and humanity they are firmly rooted. Though daily forests and woodlands are being destroyed, trees are amongst the oldest living life forms on the earth. (That sounded redundant..yuck.)
With that came the realization that not one of my accomplishments will be significant. In actuality, very few accomplishments will bare any significance. Achieving presidency of any nation, no matter it's size will be negligible over time. Barack may have been the first black president in the eyes of the world and may even be attempting (successfully thus far) to universalize health care, but his legacy will fade through time as have all others. Hitler's reign of blood was the talk of the world for approximately fifty years after it's end, and in the last twenty his name is associated not with his greatness or the magnitude of his evil deeds, but with a childish insult. Once those who lived through that terrible event fade from this earth, the true depth behind it will fade away as well and it will become no more than non-applicable knowledge to the masses. Nothing but 'facts' with no real meaning behind them. No sense of pain, or struggle or accomplishment.
For humanity, time has moved in stages bringing about 'revolutions' at their pinnacles. The Stone Age/Revolution in which cromagnum man began to utilize flint weaponry for hunting. Humanity gained knowledge and experience from the earth. The Nomadic Revolution where they began to spread about the world when climate changes and food shortages took place. Fastforward a few thousand years. The Governmental Revolution. Civilizations began to flourish under various forms of government throughout the world. The Spiritual Revolution. Granted religion is as old as recorded time, but only did it become so predominant and wide spread after groups of people became better governed (or so I believe). Then came one of the greatest revolutions, that of the mind. The Enlightenment. People began to more openly question the teachings, beliefs, and methods of both Church and State, along with everything in between. It was marvelous. It was followed by the Industrial Revolution and the Technological revolutions both of which we see evident in daily life. There may be a slight discrepancy with order, but the point is still the same. Humanity evolves constantly, trudging forward through time to adapt like the trees.
It is believed that there is to be a new age amongst humanity in which our intellect is what will determine our survival. Solely our intellect. At first I was overjoyed when the idea caught my ear, but technology advances and many of the older people have difficulty adapting. Even some young people are having a fair deal of trouble. Not only that, but people are becoming lazier and all around dumber for lack of a better term. Human behavior is taking a destructive path along technological progress. It's almost as if the relationship is inverse rather than direct. People become stupider and more ignorant in this contemporary age, technology advances. It seems somewhat slower, but it advances none the less. How can an era of the mind truly be made out of this and upcoming generations if they hardly use those marvelous organs called brains for anything but discerning between what amount of alcohol is toxic to ingest, the latest celebrity news and the most fun way to come close to death without crossing over.
Humanity has become more connected than ever due to technological advancements, and yet at the same time they've never been more cut off. Socializing is through various impersonal means, while face to face discussions and actual, emotional, meaningful self expression and human interaction is dwindling rapidly. People are becoming more and more selfish as the days pass, and no one notices or they're merely turning a blind eye. After all the new mentality is "It's none of my business." or I'm not my brother's keeper. The only physical actions between two humans is predominantly for procreation simply because it brings physical pleasure. Once technology branches into that field, I fear for what will become of the populace of the earth. That's what it may take to spark a Naturalist revolution, but that's quite shameful that it needs such an extreme event to lay the foundation. There are a few people who share my views or variants of the idea, but we're not enough to change anything. It's as if we're Evergreen trees spread about the Sahara Desert.
I've been a welcome part of humanity for many many years, and I've grown accustomed to the life styles and daily rituals. As a means to repay my hospitable race, I wish to do something to aid them in the progression of our species but I have no idea how. I don't know what to do or what I am truly capable of. I don't want my descendants to be mental vagrants and emotional vagabonds (I like the sound of that. I'm a genius). Humanity should be at home with it's planet and amongst it's people, not sectioned off and deemed self important like an island. The great land mass Pangea may have broken apart, but that does not mean humans should not remain genuinely connected by the nature that binds us. Humanity has grown into a vast forest, but is quickly cutting enormous dividers and regressing at the same time. Sounds like the plans of extinction to me.
Predominantly unrelated, but thanks to past experiences, objectivism, the insight of my mentor and a current struggle in flux, I've realized and decided that every one in my life is special and I sincerely do my best to be a good friend. Any woman or women (un)fortunate enough to be in a relationship with me at some point or another, I've decided I will do my absolute best to communicate with. Any children with the capacity for knowledge, I will teach and any act of benevolence I can perform in lue of fear I will perform. I may not be able to do much to save the world, but maybe with help I can do enough to spark the idea at the very least.
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