The Foundation of "Togetherness" and Reaching the Top

“We’re concerned about protecting the environment as well as people’s health…It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are at or what race you are-red, black, white or yellow-we’re all in this together.”  

This was stated by Lummi master carver Jewell Praying Wolf James after his tribe had arrived in Montana to meet with the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and local cattle ranchers to help protest the largest coal export terminal on the West Coast.

One of this week’s readings was Naomi Klein’s, “Blockadia: The New Climate Warriors,” which at one point looked at evolving pockets of resistance fighting against new industrial activities. This conflict zone known as “Blockadia” has brought people together far and wide from all over the world. So why are different groups of people from all walks of life coming together you ask? People that have never heard of each other, to groups that would cause harm if they came into contact with each other, are setting their differences aside. They are joining forces in their stand against new industries that threaten to destroy their homes and livelihoods because even when things get dark, there is always light when it comes to community as diverse groups of people experience the same consequences of ecological destruction. No matter where we are from, we all live on the same planet which means we are all going to have shared experiences due to our own actions. This is why different ethnicities, that no more than a century ago would have fought, have formed alliances because the state of mind that, “We’re all in this together,” has never been so important until now and corporations still fail to recognize this. As more of these diverse groups form, the communities they create have this level of “togetherness” that is making it much harder for corporations to conduct business. The phrase, “Not In My Backyard,” no longer applies to the world we live in and it is, “Neither here, nor elsewhere,” more people are living by that raises our spirits and gives us hope that one day the answer “No” will be final when it comes to corporate ecological degradation.

In Mark Manson’s article, “You probably know to ask yourself, “What do I want?” Here’s a better question,” really hit home with me, especially in this chapter of my life. I have always thought of doing cool things in life and getting my name in the spotlight but I never wanted to go through the trial and error of failing and getting back up again which you hear many successful famous people talk about. I just wanted to have a fast track pass to the top without ever doing the hard work. As Manson puts it, “I didn’t like to climb much. I just liked to imagine the top.” I was not willing to put up a struggle to get what I wanted and I now realize that struggle is all part of the process. Knowing this has given me new hope that one day I will “reach the top” and the experiences I have are all part of the journey that will mold me into the person I become. It is up to me on what I am willing to fight for and I know the reward will be worth it in the end if my heart is in my struggle.