THIRTY SOMETHING by Ishi Dinim

We don’t always know the ways in which we are connected to one another. It can be as simple as sharing a smile or as complicated as our global footprint. I spend so much time in my immediate circle of family and friends; sometimes I feel cut off from the world. It is difficult to grasp one’s significance in isolation. I know in my heart that I am trying to make the world a better place. Some of my choices make an important difference on a larger level, but it is hard to have perspective. Mostly, I just feel small.

The magnitude of the problems in our world begs the question “What effect can I have?” Am I only a drop in the ocean? Some of us are definitely making more drops than others and not always the kind of drops to hope for. That’s the rub; we are usually unable to really see how important we are, that even the smallest action can be of vital consequence.

I did something with a group of motivated people in September. We drew a line in the sand, stating our convictions to protect this planet we share. Risking our well being, to tangibly and symbolically pronounce our disagreement with the ruin and destruction that is being perpetrated in the Alberta tar sands. We gave voice to the multitudes that could not be there with us. It made me pause and profoundly cherish the sacrifices of so many other people before me and the numerous ones still to come. Ideas give rise to action – people from all walks of life standing up in the face of greed and injustice.

We are all the current caretakers for this world. What we choose to do or not do will be as important as anything our children will read about as essential history. We will have to share our future with people we disagree with. This conflict requires having a dialogue and sharing in the solutions to empower all the stakeholders in a sustainable future. Our ideas are important; they become our actions, so think big and live fearlessly. There is enough for all of us if we can become more creative and conscientious with how we live in the world.

Quotes

Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value.
– Albert Einstein

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.
– Frank Lloyd Wright

After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on – have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear – what remains? Nature remains.
– Walt Whitman

The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.
– Zeno (335 BC - 264 BC)

Web

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Saro-Wiwa

www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/recent/stop_the_tar_sands

www.petropolis-film.com

Ishi graduated from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 2001, with a BFA major in photography. He makes films, collects cacti and ponders many things. Currently, he is doing what he can for himself and the planet. contactishi@yahoo.ca.