måndag 19 april 2010

I don't know much



As I study Nature and sustainable development I realize how little I know about everything. I don’t know anything, really. Scientists have had theories about the universe, about space and time, about this planet for over a thousand years… They have known how to measure the Earth for ages, using Mathematics and Logic. Energy and matter… that is all, folks. How big is Earth? What does Earth weigh? How deep are the oceans? How tall are the mountains? How old is our planet? What are we made of? What is life? How did everything begin? I don’t know. I don’t even know how to find out.

If it was up to me to tell you how it all works, if I hadn’t been socialized into believing the opposite, I would say Earth is flat. I would also say that it is a big world. I would have realized this all on my own if I had, say, climbed a mountain to check out the view for example… I would tell everyone who would listen that there is a Sun, Mother Sun, who circles our world. And that if we are nice to each other she will return the next morning… (Yeah, why not throw a little religion in there?). When it is dark her sister the Moon is up there, watching over us, along with her children, the stars. We need the Sun, as she is the Mother of all that is living. We also need water in order for things to grow. We need to take care of the world where we live. This I would know. I would tell my kids not to wander off to far, as I would probably fear the unknown. I would tell them not to dive too deep when they go swimming since there might be Sea snakes down there, hiding below the surface. I would not want my kids to go down too deep into any pits or caves either – there might very well be monsters down there too… If I hadn’t been so socialized into believing man was in control of things here on Earth, I think I would respect Nature in a far greater way. I know I would.

We are pretty vulnerable. We are tiny, really really tiny. We are also very unimportant. A volcanic eruption on Iceland has been effecting people all over the world for days now… Lots of flights have been cancelled… Oh, absolute horror... Imagine having to miss that connecting flight... People feel the stress of not being able to arrive on time. People are screaming from frustration… They have their very important and busy lives to come home to… People to see, meetings, dead-lines, stress… And here they are, stuck at the airport... But at least they are not covered with lava. Maybe they should be thankful they are not screaming from pain…I am thinking… Maybe we should all be just a little bit more grateful we are living? Maybe we should value life more, value our lives more, value the lives of other people more. Maybe we should consider what is actually important in our lives, and what, in fact, really is not. The fact that we even exist is a miracle. Now, I am not a religious person. But I am starting to feel… awe. I just had to share that with you.

… Wait a minute… I think this post needs a little bit love… So Mattias, here we go… I am quoting a country song here… (Or at least I think it is a country song). I don’t know the title, but then again what else is new? I already told you I don’t know much…

I don’t know much… but I know I love you
...and that might be all I need to know

13 kommentarer:

  1. Ha ha! That is not a country song. The whole Iceland volcano thing is humorous to me, although it wouldn't be so if I were needing that connecting flight.

    This was a very deep post.

    By the way, I don't know if you are into music, but there are a ton of Swedish bands that I LOVE. Shout Out Louds is one of my all time favorite bands. There is some great music coming out of your neck of the world. Tell them to keep it up!

    SvaraRadera
  2. Cheeseboy: Oh, it's not? Well, what kind of song is it, then!? Tell me, I want to know!!! :)
    I used to teach Music at a high school... but I have never heard of Shout Out Louds... Shame on me. I'll have to google them. :)
    Thanks for reading and commenting :)
    /Jo.

    SvaraRadera
  3. Cheeseboy: OK, I googled them. They sound great! :) Thank you.

    SvaraRadera
  4. "I think, therefore I am". R. Descartes

    The miracle of life lies in the laps of the free mind, rather than in the hands of the, so called, righteous.

    Dan Freij

    SvaraRadera
  5. Dan: Kul att se dig! :) Så sant, så sant... Den här kursen gör mig galen. Nåja, galnare än vanligt...kanske man ska säga.
    Cogito, ergo sum.

    SvaraRadera
  6. eh, i like your version just as much...the world is so much bigger than us and i wonder too if she is not trying to teach us something in all the rumblings here recently...

    SvaraRadera
  7. Jepp, jag försöker vara där jag kan lära mig någonting. :-)

    SvaraRadera
  8. Country Song? What are you Swedish or something?

    It's just practice for 2012.

    SvaraRadera
  9. lovely thinking,
    we all have wonders about mother nature,
    love the green of your blog,
    fresh, delightful, and easy!

    SvaraRadera
  10. my link:


    http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/it-is-time-to/
    thank you for visiting!
    cheers!

    SvaraRadera
  11. Brian: Thank you. I agree. She is talking to us... :)
    Michael. Why, yes I am. :) And you shouldn't worry about 2012. That was a movie, you know. That wasn't real. ;)
    Ji: Thanks for visiting and commenting. :)

    SvaraRadera
  12. Tell that to the Mayans, Jo. They were smart enough to make themselves very scarce for the upcoming event ;-)

    I don't feel bad for travelers-- even though it would stink to not be able to make it back to your job, school, farm, and is costing them a small fortune to stay put (can you imagine? Disney World isn't cheap), but you're right that they are safe and alive. I feel terrible for our economy that was just starting to peep it's head out of the abysmal hole-- and the farmers whose food is rotting with no planes to deliver it.
    Rumour has it flights are starting up today!

    That song is now stuck in my head.

    SvaraRadera
  13. imbeingheldhostage: OK, so now I feel a little sorry for the farmers. And for the families stuck at DisneyWorld...
    I have heard flights are starting up again today, so let's hope everyone gets home safe.

    That song kind of sticks to you. I know. My problem is I only know that part that I quoted... So I am hearing that part a lot...! :) Over and over and over again.
    Hugs/ Jo.

    SvaraRadera