Last week I took a mini-vacation to Saint Lucia. It was my first time in the Caribbean, and not staying at a westernized resort-hotel, I got the experience I always hope for whenever I travel. There was nobody to fold my sheets and bring fresh linens every day. Nobody to refill the toilet paper and restock the fridge. Nobody to call a car and give me the same treatment I would get in the US. Most of my friends wouldn’t opt for the live-like-a-native experience I had, but because of it, I was able to see things most people don’t get a chance to see. By staying off the grid, away from the city lights, I was actually able to see the sky without noise from lights and any other pollutants. And I recognize that part of my purpose of a photographer is to document and share perspectives that most people don’t get to see.
It was a little overwhelming to look up and immediately realize how small I am in the big scheme of things. And even more overwhelming to look up and realize how small our planet is within our solar system, galaxy and the universe. Outside of this world, nobody/nothing cares to think about us. The universe wouldn’t bat an eye if the home we all call Earth were to disappear. And it is that realization that helps me understand how important it is that we are all stewards of our planet. Beyond politics, beyond money and greed, beyond ideologies; we are the only ones capable of protecting ourselves. So why don’t we continue to destroy ourselves over money and power? Why aren’t we all a little more conscious of making small changes to help extend the lives of future generations?
Certainly we can’t just all just immediately change our lifestyles and go all the way granola or stop killing each other (right?). But if we all made 1 or 2 small changes, what kind of impact do you think we could make? I know everyone has their own ideologies of global warming, war, money and power, and I could care less about trying to convince anyone to share my beliefs. However, if we were to be truly intelligent beings, we’d be able to understand both sides and make decisions that are mutually beneficial. The question I have, which I continue to ask myself, is what could I do better? I challenge you, as one measly-intelligent-earthling to another, to answer the same question for yourself.
