What inspired me takes approx 4 mins to read.

“If there is hope in the future, there is literally power in the present.”

Zig Ziglar

Following on from Conversations with the future – Is it True? Here is the next question from a future human being.

Question  

When we in our generation find water we can drink and soil that’s safe to grow food, it is thanks to the work you and your friends are doing on our behalf.

It must be hard for you, especially at the beginning, standing up for beings you haven’t met and will never meet. So I want to ask you this question:  

What inspired you to start on this path?  

And what were the first steps you took?

What inspired me to start on this path?

What inspired me is that I want to be an ancestor you can be proud of. I want future beings to know I did my best, that I supported the Great Turning to a sustainable way of life for all.

My secret dream is that my children can tell their children and so on down the line. They will speak of their Grandmother or even Great Great Grandmother who never gave up hope. Despite the effort, the fears, the losses and lies they will know she carried on truth telling and bringing light to a dark time on earth.

We have a choice

Which direction we go in from here is a choice we have to make individually and collectively. To make that choice we must first wake up to what potentially lies ahead, the dangers as well as the possibilities. 

As a child I became honed in on unfairness through family experiences, bullying at school and seeing the inequalities in the lives of those around me. Later awareness about the loss of species, mass starvation in Africa and the endemic racism, sexism, homophobia and more sunk in deep.

Seek out alternatives

When my children were born I had to choose. The world I saw, medically, educationally, politically and socially was not one I wanted them initiated in to. My desire to offer them something else drove me to seek out alternatives.

Clarity about the path I wanted to support was embedded through studying Permaculture, the Transition Town movement and later training in the Work That Reconnects. 

And what were the first steps you took?

I don’t think it’s simple to pin point the first steps. I feel as if my life has been full of stepping stones towards the place I now stand. 

As a child I tried to stick up for what I thought was right and got myself into a whole heap of trouble at home and school. This only served to fire up my feelings about injustice even more. 

Root of the matter

Searching for alternatives taught me an immense amount about other ways of looking at things. This coupled with a bright enquiring mind has me wanting to know more, to understand why, to delve into the heart or root of the matter.

Other steps included starting groups, supporting campaigns, sharing films, joining protests, writing to MP’s, counsellors, newspapers and other media. I even wrote a blog about Alternative presents in an attempt to influence the rampant consumerism around gift giving. Fun but probably futile.

I do my best to stay informed and then to share what I know and understand. I talk about the issues a lot, perhaps too much for some!

Time in nature

Now I feel the steps I need to take are changing. I am questioning some of the activism I have been involved in ad find myself drawn instead to spend more time in and with nature, to write and create. I question how this contributes. Am I copping out? Certainly I am weary of overt activism.

I believe we all have a part to play in the change required to preserve what we can of the eco system and to give you a chance at life. I am going where I am called and trust that it is where I can best contribute right now.

How would you answer these questions from the future?

Remember there is no right or wrong answer. There can only be your own unique response to this future human’s enquiry. Try it, perhaps you will learn something about yourself. Remember, by answering these questions from the future you are entering into a process which we will continue in the next few blogs.

“It is our collective and individual responsibility … to preserve and tend to the world in which we all live.”

Dalai Lama

Disclaimer: The views expressed here, in blog posts and on the website Change Is Always Possible are those of the author Mairi Stones alone, and do not represent the views of any associated bodies. We do not diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. Information provided in this blog is not intended to substitute advice, treatment and/or diagnosis from qualified medical and nutritional professionals.