Kelly Maida--The Earth That Sustains Us

I started writing this because of the litter that I see on a daily basis. I see people throwing their cigarettes and garbage around. This turned into something much more than that. Littering has a ripple effect that harms us all.

I grew up watching commercials that talked about the importance of not littering. Some had owls saying give a hoot and don’t pollute. Or Indians crying over the mess that is on the earth. I wish that we had more reminders of this now.

I moved into a home and I noticed that smokers walk by and throw their cigarettes and cans and debris in my yard and neighbors. What about the animals? Have you ever once thought of the little creatures. This hurts them as well when they get into your debris or stuck in it. Or how the littering disrupts the land and the soil. This is no one’s earth or property. We are just visitors here. Where is the respect for the Earth that sustains us? The Earth that you walk on has been in neglect for a long time. Next time you walk outside look around. Notice how the Earth supports your every move. At some point we need to honor this. Mother Earth has carried us all. Without her we would not exist. Each one of us can make a difference. It’s quite simple to take the common courtesy and not throw your trash on the ground. Or if you see litter pick it up. Small acts of kindness each day add up. There are many ways we can all show love back to the earth. Planting new seeds, growing local food. Teaching our children to respect the Earth and the environment. A little always goes a long way.

Recycling also helps the Earth! Recycling helps to minimize the amount of pollution. I think taking pride in the earth shows your respect for the Earth and yourself! If people cannot respect others, I can’t change your mind on that. The Earth has only shown us love and care. It has held our every step and has been there for us all of our lives! You will be buried in the Earth when you die. Do you want your corpse to be surrounded by cigarettes and debris? Every step you take is on this earth. Why not be grateful for that? We have all taken Mother Earth’s role in our lives for granted. However if you are reading this it is now something that you are aware of. It is now something that you should be mindful of. If each and every one of us pay attention to what we are doing we can help the Earth. We can give back to our Earth mother that has sustained us and provided for us since day one! You don’t have to wait for Earth day to do something kind for the planet! Every day should be Earth day! We should all be responsible for our actions. This world is turning into robots one auto pilot. Where no one pays attention! It’s time to wake up! We are not put on this Earth for very long. We don’t know how long we will be here. Would you like to be remembered as the person that threw cigarettes everywhere and debris? Or someone that helped the planet? Some people that walk by my place that is all that I see them for. People that throw debris around. That is all that I see them do. I don’t know who they are. But they have no respect for others or the Earth.

Hopefully this will make an impact. Littering is still happening. We must teach our children when they are young not to do this. Or they will turn into disrespectful adults. Maybe they are not aware on some level. But the world is turning into non functioning humans. Robots that do the same tasks every day without paying attention. If we just spend a few minutes each day paying attention when we are walking. Being more mindful. Respecting the Earth and the land. We can all make a difference. It’s just so sad to see the current state of the Earth. I live near a daycare where little children are. Do people not pay attention to this? When you throw your cigarettes butts and trash the children step on this? Or they could put this in their mouth. Be mindful of this. Trash and litter cause bacteria. This bacteria and disease can harm children.

I recently had a few mice in my place. I went to a store and a stranger told me to use Borax. I said are you crazy? That is poison. What about the animals and the children? He was only thinking of himself. That is the problem with this world. Everyone is so self indulged in their own worlds. You must realize the impact you have on others. Animals matter and so do the Earth and the Children. Do you even pay attention to the salts that you sprinkle out for ice? This can harm animals as well. If you think you have a hard life, can you imagine how hard it is for animals being outside? The stray cats and animals. They each play a role in our ecosystem. Humans think they are top priority. But we are not. This world existed without us and can go on without us. We are the ones making the world a mess. Without us the animals co existed among themselves. Humans are responsible for the pollution. We need to fix this. I could go on and talk about Oil spills etc. But I wanted to talk about ways each and everyone can be accountable for our own actions daily.

When we protect the Earth and the Environment, we are helping the children and the future generations to come. The Indigenous people have tried to show us this. They view the Earth as a sacred relative. They honor her and give thanks for all that she has done. They are people to look up to! They say that the Earth is not ours, we do not own anything. Your deeds are useless when you die. We are here temporarily. We are borrowing from the land. The Earth provides us food and homes and water. The pollution that people do has a ripple effect. Look at what is and has happened in waters, lakes and Oceans.

Littering has a huge impact on our drinking water. It causes toxic chemicals in the water. Think about that next time you’re showering or turning on the water. Litter breaks down into hazardous toxins and chemicals. It’s all a domino effect. What you put out there comes back to you. Whether you realize this or not. If you do not care about others or the Earth, do you like drinking toxins? Do you know littering causes bacteria and diseases? Look back at history. Bacteria can lead to Cholera. That is a word that has been coming back. People think that some of these diseases on the Earth are scientifically made. It is at your own hands. The people that litter are causing bacteria, spreading germs and diseases and harming our planet. I wrote this in hopes of opening everyone’s eyes to this problem. If you really want to make America great again, focus on this Earth. Start with yourself and remember small deeds can go a long way. This Earth is on the wrong path. It’s turned digital and people are walking zombies. Distracted by screens, games and televisions. Next time you’re outside, take a look around you. Look at the Earth and nature. Remember how the Earth sustains you. It sustains us all.

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