But I'll Still Be Here

But I'll still be here...

Issues over the environment have been lingering for a very long time. Longer than most of us have been alive. Exploitation, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions...and all of the other 'trigger' words that circulate our society either create panic or an eye roll. Selfishly, it is easy to ignore some of the large problems our current world faces. It is easy to sub come to capitalism and live in the comfort of our nice, warm homes, with our iPhones, social media, surplus of food, and other tangible objects that have no real meaning. It is easy for us to brush off the world's problems and let the 'experts' handle it. It is easy to hid behind the fact of death before catastrophe.

As I get ready to graduate and take on the 'real world' (whatever that means), these issues weigh heavy on my heart. James Orbesen's passage, "But I'll Still Be Here," struck a bothersome nerve in me. Why is it such a difficult task to open people's eyes to our real world issues? Why is it so difficult to instill the importance of radical change in order for our survival? Our people of the world really THAT self-centered and ignorant that these issues really just don't matter to them!? What is it going to take to make necessary changes in our culture?

The lack of concern and lack of action becomes overwhelming and discouraging. Especially as I am getting ready to leave college with the mid set to enact change. But how!? This weighs heavy on my heart. It is not like these issues are new to anyone. They have been around, and continue to grow. What is it going to take to turn society around and begin to fix the issues we have created? Our parents didn't do it. Their parents didn't do it either. But here we are...are future generations going to look back on us and as why we didn't do anything about it?

We are here. Right now. What will it take?