The Story Spark for this piece was the word – Here. So “here” is what I wrote. We had 20 minutes to write.
Here
I could have been anywhere I chose. But no, I had to end up here.
Here among the evil in thought and deed that pervades the land. Here among the filth and destruction that reek our planet. Here in a land beyond my wildest nightmares. Here.
Had I made a choice, I might have chosen a quiet, secluded island with beautiful trees and flowers. With seashores with crystal blue waters. With the sounds of birds and other animals meant to calm oneself and make one healthy and happy.
But I didn’t make a choice. How could I? There are too many people that I care for. There are too many things that I know I can help improve. If only…
That’s the rub. If only there were a way for more people like me to collaborate and force the change?
Not by violence, for that would add to the system that now engulfs us. But through thoughtful intervention and education.
There is an old folktale about a man who was about to die and had three sons. He knew that when he died, they would fight amongst each other for control of the land they inherited. He decided to give each of his sons the task of finding a branch from a tree and for them to each break their branch in half. They did so; it was easy. They were then asked to bring back another branch each. When they did, he put all the branches together and, in turn, asked each of his sons to break the bundle of sticks in half. None could do it. The message he sent to them was that as individuals, it is easy for one to be broken, but when individuals group and work together, they are much stronger. His sons chose to respect their differences and work as one, together, after their father had passed.
That is a lesson that I wish all of us could understand. Yes, the here and now is in shambles. Yes, the here and now is run by the powerful, the rich, and the ignorant. But together, as a force of change for the better, we can make a difference.
So I couldn’t have been anywhere I chose. I had to end up here. But I did make a choice. The life you live is not a foregone entry in the annals of time. The life you live should be the choice to make the best life you can.
Seek out those who wish to make the world a better place. Seek out those who want to cherish the earth, the animals, and each other.
Together, we are stronger than what exists. Let us make that change happen here – Now.
