Favourite Books

  • The Green Mile
  • Animal Farm
  • Lord of the Flies
  • Lord of the Rings
  • To Kill a Mockingbird

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Following the Footsteps

  Last night, someone on my Facebook "liked" a video someone else shared, and I was privileged to view it. I have an idea who the video owner is, heard her name when we lived in our previous community. I don't know her, maybe we belonged to opposing groups...LOL...oh yeah...like I am a "group" member of anything...Perhaps she has no clue who I am, and likely doesn't care. But, through the magic (and yes, I still think internet is magical) of social media, I was allowed to listen to a message from her heart.
  I doubt she had any clue when she posted this message that it would flow off into the world, entering so many lives, but I imagine when she hit the button, her convictions were so strong, she simply needed to put it out there. Unlike my blogging, she was visual, her tears, and her fear, showed. She is much braver than I, as, if many of my blogs were visual, you would be able to see my tears flow. She has found a purpose, something that is so very important to her, because, it affects not only herself, but the future of her children and grandchildren.
  Funny, humanity projects the protectors as often male. Males are the ones who go off to war, they are the hunters, and providers, and their women and children are theirs to keep safe. However, it is the females who more often look beyond the moment, and stand guard for the future. Perhaps it is because we are always looking outside the box. We have borne children, and they in turn will follow in our footsteps, taking up the lifelong job of another generation.
   As women, and mothers, we have had our struggles, to ensure the generation we are raising survive. We know what difficulties lie ahead for those to follow. We want our children to have a better life, an easier life, than we had. We want them to enjoy the same pleasures we had, and to suffer the hardships far less than we did. We understand we cannot ensure they will not encounter struggles, because, life is full of them, and we realize battles allow humans to grow stronger.
  To watch and listen to this woman, mother, grandmother, cry for the future, made me understand myself, a little better. I realized my fears are not only my own. She speaks what those of us who have managed to look beyond today, see. She is frightened for what is to come for those who follow us, her children, grandchildren, and beyond.
  Yes, she is First Nations, and she speaks of her tradition, and her ancestors, I am not aboriginal, however, this land is the only home I know. I love the land. I do not hunt for sustenance, I hate fish, but, I love the land! I enjoy nothing more than to walk into the "bush" and feel that first moment when the temperature changes, and the peace envelopes me. I feel comfort from the smell, and my feet sinking into the moss. I revel in the fact that I am surrounded by something so huge, and amazing. I am aware I am in uncharted territory, I understand this does not belong to me, or any human being. When I step into the thick forest, I am entering a place that gives me the same feeling as when I enter into church. It is a religious experience, when I feel awe, and when I feel closest to God.
  I remember the day after 9=11, when I walked into the bush. Like everyone else, I was in shock, and the losses to so many was overwhelming. I cannot say that when I entered into the bush, the heartache disappeared, but, I will say that I felt comfort.
 The greatness of nature is a gift. I receive peace, and comfort from it. It allows me the ability to feel what life was like before towns, and cities, before highways, and hydro. It gives one the understanding of what it must have been like for the first people, incredible beauty, endless sustenance, and yes, danger. It is a place where humanity is shown just how small they truly are.
  Now, we stand on the edge of "remodeling" all of nature, or, I suppose, all of that I have been a part of. I am not against pipelines, or progress. I keep saying this, because I realize, there are benefits. But, this time, I can't help but think, we are moving far too fast, and we have become too greedy (or someone has). Our government has removed regulations, and by-passed studies. Agreements are made without public knowledge, and even when they are caught, they say "sorry, we forgot". They state they will now take the time to discuss, but, it is clear they will not truly discuss, they will do as they want.
  Our leaders, and I mean all leaders, have forgotten the future. They are simply living in the moment. Like the woman in the video, I fear for those to follow. I fear they will never have the chance to find the peace and comfort I and those before me enjoyed. I fear if the future cannot envision how great nature is, our world as we know it, will disappear. We must be able to fully understand our past, we must live our present, with the knowledge that the future is our responsibility.
   Like those before us, we walk uncharted territory, we must tread slowly, and carefully. Why can we not understand,one day, what we do now, will be history? Why can we not look outside the box?
  When the women, mothers, and grandmothers begin to cry, our leaders must take heed. We are simply doing our jobs, the job to protect our children's children. We see this is not right, and we are imploring those who are suppose to do what is best for the people to pause, to listen, and tread slowly and carefully,and, to leave a place for the footsteps that follow!

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