The Way Things Are

I just finished reading a book called "The Power of Story." It's one of those self-help books to help lost souls find their way by changing the way they view and, therefore, think about life. A big part of the book talks about "the way things are," meaning the way people get conditioned to think about their lives, their pursuits, their days and their purpose on this earth as unchangeable. Mostly, "the way things are" is a negative device. People don't change because they're afraid, lazy or both. I fall into the same trap, mostly out of fear.

That phrase came to mind when I opened an e-mail of a recording shot in 1992, featuring a 12-year-old girl named Severn Suzuki speaking to world leaders at a United Nations conference about the environment. She spoke about the way things were in Vancouver, her birthplace. She spoke about how humanity had polluted the rivers and lakes, how species disappeared with little protest, how most people didn't share with others even in times of abundance, how we're poisoning the earth because we can't yet see the consequences ... because those consequences haven't yet affected us personally. That kind of stuff matters only when it disrupts our own interests.

This is the way things are. It was in 1992, and it still is today. I was glad to learn Severn has followed her pursuits and has made much of herself in the 16 years since she made that speech to the U.N. She's an activist doing good things for someone somewhere, according to her Wikipedia profile. It makes me hopeful that there's still time for me to do the same.