Lately I have been reading an absolutely outstanding book, The Spell of the Sensuous, by David Abram. Abram does a brilliant job revealing just how deep modern man's isolation from the natural world goes. He explains how all early human languages were based on what humans experienced around them, the animals and natural elements, i.e., the real living world. However, during the time of the Greeks, language changed from an oral tradition inseparable from the living world, to a written language developed completely anthropocentrically. Ancient words and letters were for the most part symbols of animals or elements, what early humans saw and interacted with and were a part of every day. The Greek civilization converted these traditions to what you are reading now, letters completely designed by humans, because, hell, that is what civilization is. We have created a world that is fit only for us, consisting only of us. And if you think I am wrong, please explain to me why 150-200 species go extinct every day, when that average used to be four a year.
These kind of things just blow me away. It has been a huge blow to me in the last couple of years to really learn and understand that modern human culture is literally murdering the planet. I believe I have felt it throughout my life, but I never really understood how extreme the situation really is. And then I come across philosophers like Abram, and it just gets deeper and deeper for me. How do we reestablish a relationship with the natural world? How do we get enough people together who are willing to defend it from insane, greedy humans? How do we retrain ourselves so that we ourselves aren't insane greedy humans?
A couple of nights ago, I went to a wonderful anti-natural gas drilling meeting in Monroe County. They had a woman that came out from Wetzel County to speak. For the last 4 years, Wetzel County has been being destroyed by the corporation Chesapeake Gas. The woman at the meeting gave a great presentation of how bad it is in her county, and told the people to fight like hell. It was very moving and heart wrenching. I was also impressed by the people of Monroe County at the meeting. They seemed passionate and focused.
There are people who care. There are many of us, who know what the fuck is going on. We know it has to fucking stop. We know that these corporations literally get away with murder. Oh, I wish there were easy answers. I wish voting really did work. I wish that living by example would actually change the minds of the power hungry.
Plain and simple. We have to get to work, in whatever way we can. We have to do everything we can for this planet and it's creatures. We have to get smarter, stronger, more cooperative, more decent to our friends, and more stern against our foes. We have to redevelop a relationship with, and make an allegiance to, the real living world.
My friend turned me on to this band, Cloud Cult. So far I really like their stuff, and I really liked this song. Keep thinking, feeling, and fighting.
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