I Go Down to The Shore
I go down to the shore in the morning
and depending on the hour the waves
are rolling in or moving out,
and I say, oh, I am miserable,
what shall—
what should I do? And the sea says
in its lovely voice:
“Excuse me, I have work to do.”
– Mary Oliver
Hello Friends! I love this Mary Oliver poem because it describes what nature does for me every time I let it – no matter what troubles are bubbling away in my brain, large or small, nature puts them all into perspective.
Last night Chris and I watched a movie called “Don’t Look Up”, which we really enjoyed (unfortunately Rotten Tomatoes critics and audiences did not agree, much to our surprise). The movie’s plot revolves around two astronomers who have discovered an enormous meteor that is on course to hit Earth with catastrophic results. They knock themselves out trying to get the government and the media and the people of the world to a) believe the science, and b) care.
Yep, it’s really about climate change.
We live in such a broken world. It’s always been broken of course, and I’m sure I’ve written about this before in this blog. I think what makes the brokenness of today’s world so frustrating to me is that now we know better. We have seen amazing advances in science over the last hundred years. We could do so much with this knowledge as a global community. And the US, with its enormous wealth and influence, could do so much to lead the way. And yet.
And yet.
The title of last night’s movie comes from the days after the meteor can finally be seen with the naked eye. The scientists and those who believe the scientists try to rally the world with the cry, “Look Up.” Of course, a certain faction of the country comes back with their own rallying cry, “Don’t Look Up.”
Did I mention the film is a comedy? Think Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove – there are definitely some elements of homage to Kubrick at work here.
I loved the film. But this morning my insides were all churned up. Not just by the whole science-denier thing going on with climate change and Covid. It was about the general broken nature of humans. As a race, you have to admit we’re pretty screwed up.
And yet.
I met some lovely people Friday evening. A family dealing with catastrophic illness, but handling it with great strength and grace. And also managing to get out in the world to advocate for better healthcare and a healthier environment.
Walking through the woods I remembered this family and all the other people around the world quietly doing the right thing, day after day. Then I stopped thinking and just focused on every little detail of the forest floor, hunting for fungi, listening to the woodpeckers. I looked up and saw a stone with a Christmas tree painted on it nestled between a split trunk of a tree – a gift from some stranger that I left for some other stranger to find.
I have no parting shot with which to wrap up this blog post. I have no answers to the problems of humanity. All I know is that many people are good. Many people are trying to do the right thing. And nature heals.
I hope you have a great week!
Love,
Michelle xoxo