I used to see things more this way, but I don't anymore. Perhaps it is my growth from my seething nihilism into more positivity...could that be true?!?!

Evolutionarily, every creature on the planet, likely the universe, seeks a means to an end. Even the smallest bacteria will ravage whatever it needs to, in order to do what it needs to: which is to spread. We can see the effects that diseases leave behind on people, I am going through it in my very own life right now. Whatever is causing my body to attack itself is doing so in order to replicate itself, to stay alive. I agree that the intrinsic nature of all living things is selfish, and that humans are as much a part of this as any other living thing, but is it also singularly negative as well? Evil, destructive even?

As soon as humans were able to civilize and settle down, we have been raping the land of everything we can get from it. We want shelter and sustenance and all the beautiful things mother Earth has to offer us. And you know what mother Earth wants? Our dead, decaying bodies to continue the cycle and fertilize itself. So, without thought or hesitation, humans are wiped out, often by the thousands in natural disasters, resetting the balance and restoring the nutrients to where they belong, according to mother earth. (or just natural cycles if ya wanna be all science-y here.)

While it's true though, that humans seek to outdo every previous generation, out-sow every past farmer, out-produce every last manufacturer, and while we are all a part of that process, I don't know if every human being can be harnessed with the same weight of that desire/need/outcome. Personally, I shop second-hand for almost everything. I try to re-use bags, I live as economical as possible, I try to not to drive when we don't have to, and I try to turn things off when I am not using them. I am relatively aware of the dangers we are putting our Earth in, and I do what I can to combat that, but who am I against a multi-billion dollar plant in China? Against businessmen who give zero fucks what their generation does, so long as they get to live in the lap of luxury? I refuse to take the blame for those who refuse to take any blame themselves. We are all ideally not blameless sure, but categorically I believe us to be very different.

I think I am closer to belonging to the category of: average living thing doing what it needs to just skate by. I am more like the bear that will maul the shit out of you if you come by her cubs, and would starve to death to ensure their survival. Yes, I have a cell phone, and a computer, but I feel as though in this century, those tools are as prime to survival as sticks and stones were to our ancestors. Times change and necessities change as well. Many of the things that you might see as unnecessary, or inherently damaging to the Earth, I believe to be an integral part of survival, and no different than any other species doing what they need to survive.

Sorry if this became more of a rant/comment coaster, I am still pretty well pumped on pain meds at the moment. :) I really enjoy your posts and look forward to many more in 2018! Hooray for a new year!