Our mother earth is magnificent and
vast. Overflowing with diversity and immense beauty. As a society, we are
dependent on the resources that our earth provides. We would not have the
thriving economies that we have today without the resources that our earth
provides. Nor would we be surrounded with all the natural wonders of our
beautiful earth: no mountains to climb, no waves to surf, no forests to
explore, and that would be a crying shame.
This earth we live on is truly a phenomenon
and I feel so lucky to be able to soak up its overwhelming beauty in the great
outdoors. This earth is not only the backbone of human civilization but it’s
good for the soul. There is something about nature that is so healing, a magic
that no modern medicine can compare to.
When I was three or four, I found
my first love. We were inseparable, nothing could keep us apart. To my parent’s
dismay, I would often disappear from their sights and the safety of our home to
be with my one, true love. In an attempt to keep me contained and within their
sights, my parents installed deadbolt locks to the doors. This only kept me
contained for a little while as I soon learned how to unlock the new locks. I
simply could not be kept away from my love.
Who was my first love? My first
love was the great outdoors, and remains the love of my life. There has never
been a moment in my life when I didn’t love the outdoors. I’m not entirely sure
what it was about the outdoors that captivated me as a child, maybe it was the
big open spaces, the trees to climb, the fresh air that seemed to wash away all
my worries, the view of the mountains, or the trampoline and swing set in my
backyard that I loved so much. I loved all that and more, but possibly what I
loved most about the outdoors was the way it made me feel. It made me feel as
wild as the ocean, as free as the birds, and strong and immovable like a
mountain.
Throughout my life, the outdoors
have continued to be my oasis in this chaotic world. I’ve always found nature
to be so healing, the only medicine I needed to cure my ailments. There’s just
something about the fresh air that rushes through your body, clearing away all your
worries; something about the big blue skies that spans so endlessly above you;
something about the way that all the colors you never knew existed explode
across the skies as the sun says goodnight; something about the awesome beauty
that can simultaneously take your breath away while giving life to your soul;
something about the freeness it exudes and the fearsome power it harnesses in a
gentle hand. There’s just something about the outdoors that no words can
describe, and no feeling can truly express.
The world we live in is a big,
cruel, hard world. A world full of heartache, war, failures, pain and
despair. A world that can push you until you break. “It’s a hard knock life” as
the orphan Annie would say. Everyone has their own way of coping with life,
their own oasis and remedy to their woes. As for me, the outdoors has always
been my go-to “cure-all.” If I was ever feeling sad or depressed, I knew a few
minutes outside would leave me feeling energized and hopeful again. Whenever I
felt sick, I knew that a little sunshine would have me feeling better in no
time.
I love the outdoors, and I know
that there are a billion-other people out there who feel the same way that I
do. The outdoors is a place where people of all backgrounds and diversities can
come and find solstice and a plethora of mind-blowing beauty. I’m sure everyone has experienced
an awe-striking, life-pausing moment when in the outdoors. A moment where it
feels as if your heart stops and time stands still as you stand there basking
in the surreality of our mother earth. As for me, I’ve experienced more of
these moments than I can count. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I
love this earth and I will forever stand as an advocate for it.
Mary Oliver once said, “Tell me,
what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” and I ask you
this, what is it that you plan to do with this one wild and precious earth we
have? We as humans have been given the responsibility of caring for our earth in
return for the abundance of life that it provides. Its resources come with a
price which is more than often overlooked in the attempts to harness and profit
from its resources. We have just one, fragile earth and we treat it like a
specimen than you can buy at PetSmart. We liter its surface with garbage. We degrade
its environment, and threaten its species into extinction by destroying their once
thriving habitats.
If we want to leave a healthy earth
for generations to come, then we must act now to protect and preserve our earth.
We are yet one generation but there are a many more to come who depend on the
natural resources that come from our earth. Not only must our earth’s resources
and environment be persevered, but its immense beauty must also be preserved. I
stand for preserving our earth because I dream of a future where people of all
ages and races can fall in love with the outdoors, just as I have. As a society,
we must work together to reverse the effects of human error on the earth and preserve our earths natural environment. It will take more than one person to make a difference in the world. That
means you and I, your neighbor down the street, the strangers you pass in the
grocery store, and every other living soul on the earth must take it upon
ourselves to be advocates for our mother earth. So, I ask you this, what is it
that you plan to do for this one wild and precious earth?
