twist-irony-surprises

Saturday, August 04, 2007

We are all ugly. You and I.

When I was younger I used to be angry at lot at my mum mainly for the reason she doesn't care about the Earth. I was much a nature freak who was very concerned about the ever growing pollution, the growing illegal logging and killing endangered species. I opt strongly for recycling and the other 2 Rs. But a single conversation overturned my perspective on Mother Nature.

It took place in Law class and the conversation revolves around the killing of endangered species for the sake of satisfying oneself with these delicacies. Terri and I were of course furious with the thought of breaking monkey's scalp and drink blood directly from its head while it shrieks in pain. I said that is cruel and wrong. Besides it's disgusting. But then Sarah asked, "who are you to say its disgusting when it's a a part of their culture and beliefs to do so? Just because you did not grow with such practices doesn't mean you have the right to label them as gross and cruel". That one hit me right in the head! Dang...

Then June asked us "What different are we from them?". She continued further on to say " Just because we don't kill chickens and cows with our bare hands that doesn't mean we're not as cruel as them. You don't know how they rear chickens, cows, and lambs and you don't know how they kill them. But if you do, you know you are just as cruel as they are".

Then it dawned on me, everything we do and everything we kill or destroy for sake the sake of humanity's survival is cruel. The fact that we live in air-conditioned room is in fact harming the nature. The clothes that we wear also destroy the nature to a certain extend. Everything we humans need or do destroys the Earth. In one way or another I realise we are just ugly. The more and more I think about it, the uglier the human race gets in my mind.

You know why we are ugly? We are ugly because we do not play any single role in the natural chain. Let's say, the birds, the worms, the soil, the plants and other natural beings are in the chain. They are interdependent. One cannot live without another and they each benefit each other. But once monkeys start to stand on its hind legs and become humans we obstruct the chain. We are no where beneficial in the cycle. We belong nowhere in the cycle. We do nothing but rape mother nature and destroy her.

Yet again, we can't continue to live without raping her. It is just our nature to suck the earth's resources. It may be slowly or rapidly but it is just our nature to do so. It is part of our survival. It has been since the ice age till now. Only the frequency of it is different.

Surprisingly, I accept the fact that we are all ugly. I accept the fact I am in one of those vicious ugly cycle. So i stopped believing in my principles, not wholly but partly. I remembered a mother of my friend's who said we should not stop eating animals because they are meant to be eaten. Then I remembered my mum saying that there is no way to save the earth. She also said no one can do it.

So i stopped to think, do all adults think like that? Is that why when we were younger we were so much associated with nature but when we grow older and become much aware of the harshness and ugliness of the world that we turn selfish too? Is that why we shut our eyes and ears to these environmental problems because we accept the fact that we are all ugly? I am starting to head to that path and become just like any other adults. No more becoming like a child who resiliently believes in her principles. No more becoming like a child who was pure before learning the true colour of the world.

Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't. I don't know.

by Zephyr at 11:28 PM |