Tackling Hopelessness

     I am no stranger to hopelessness. After Donald Trump became president, I felt as though the world was too screwed up, that climate change had reached an irreversible point, and that all of the environmental progress we’ve made since the 1970s would be torn apart. I knew that I should be doing everything that I could to help better the world, then more than ever. But I was so severely depressed that it was difficult to bring myself to participate in social change, because it was difficult just to get out of bed every morning.

     It took me a year to realize that this self-defeating attitude wasn’t helping anyone, including myself. But going through this experience helped me resonate with the woman in Danusha Goska’s essay who said, “I want to do something, but what can I do?  I’m just one person, an average person. I can’t have an impact. I live with the despair of my own powerlessness.”

     Of course, like this woman, there were plenty of things that I could have done, and still can do to improve the world. There are times when many of us feel isolated from these opportunities, but they’re always there. There are people who deal with so many struggles every day, like Goska had, and still they take the time to make their contributions.

     Which is one of the reasons that I’ve been so excited about getting involved with service learning this semester. I have always wanted to work on improving the state of the environment. Though my tasks with Redwood State Parks may seem trivial compared to the many problems in the world, I feel grateful that I can make some sort of contribution. My work has consisted of a combination of helping with research, trail maintenance, and invasive species removal. Humboldt County is so incredibly stunning, so it feels great to be able to help maintain its beautiful State Parks.

     These days, I’ve moved away from a self-defeatist attitude. I’ve accepted the fact that there is always something we can do to improve the world, even if its just in a small way. After my service learning hours have been completed, I know that I will continue to work with Redwood State parks, as well as other organizations, to create a positive impact.