I have decided to force myself to write more. It’s something I’ve enjoyed doing on and off for many years; usually not with much of a direction or focus, nor following through with it for many weeks, or even days, consecutively. Sometimes I didn’t feel that I had anything of interest to share, other times, days would go by, filled with many other things, and I wouldn’t even think of writing.
So I thought the Live Your Legend, seven day start-a-blog challenge might be a good way to kick myself up the backside!
Today’s writing prompt for the challenge is – What really makes you angry about the world?
I’m known for being calm and collected and not getting angry, but on the inside, what really frustrates me is the way we humans, on the whole, (mis)treat the planet. The rubbish, the pollution, the thoughtless consumption, the lack of responsibility for our actions, destruction of the land and the plants and animals living on it, and the inability, for the most part, to realise that all of our choices, no matter how small they may seem, have a series of consequences that ripple out into the world like waves that are amplified by all the other ripples created by so many others.
I have a long way to go to improve my lifestyle to the degree that I would consider acceptable, and I don’t intend for this to be a rant against ‘everyone else’, because I still pollute and consume unnecessary things, but I am trying, step by step to make less of a negative impact on the world, and more of a positive one.
There are many things to improve on in the world, but with all of the current political and social difficulties and dangers these days, it has been argued that there is no time or money to address species extinction or ocean pollution, when there are wars being fought and terrorists to chase down. For me however, it’s always been the natural world (of which I hasten to add, we are a part, and just as dependent on it as the next monkey) that has had my attention, and that I’ve wanted to do something about. In this desire, I’ve been distracted by many things along the way, and so far I haven’t achieved anything of particular note. I have a good life on a mostly sunny island; we recycle, we buy local organic food, I don’t eat meat, and with my family, we’ve just moved into a house with a garden, where we intend to grow some of our own food. In the spirit of ‘be the change’ I’m trying to adjust my lifestyle to fit my ethics and somehow expand that into insprition for change in those around me.
What also frustrates me is going to work 45 hours per week (including my commute) for someone else, just for the money. I am now the proud father of a six-week old baby boy, who has given me another reality check (work is even more of an inconvenience than it was before!) and I want to change this situation… gain back those lost hours, whilst improving our quality of life by doing something meaningful and useful to humanity and and the rest of the world!
Stuart Westwood 