My Friend Found the Perfect Words

Posted bySarahPosted inArt, blogging, PhotographyTags:, , , , , , ,

My dear friend Dominique from over at 3CStyle very kindly reblogged my latest post “You Think Global Change Is Not Real? Watch This and Think Again!” which made me very happy, because I think it’s a message that needs to be spread as wide as possible.

Being one of those people who truly care about the environment and its inhabitants as well as being an outstanding scientific journalist, she simply found the perfect words for her introduction.

Since I don’t know if there’s a rule or some blog etiquette against reblogging a reblog of your own blog post, I will simply copy her words for you here, and hope that you will also visit her blog.

 

This is, what Dominique wrote:

 

The walrus is not an animal that shows up in our everyday lives that often. When they do, it is usually in passing. The walrus is our friend in a passing sort of way – a neighbor that we see every once in a while. We don’t know all of that neighbor’s business. We do know that neighbor is a generally good person. She always has a good morning wave for us and perhaps a bit of uplifting chatter.

One day, you pass in front of this neighbor’s house. You notice that the lawn is disheveled, the window is broken in and the car is on blocks. What happened? You feel a pang of curious sympathy, but you pass on. You have stuff to do, and your relationship doesn’t really call for you asking about the situation. It’s none of your business.

Word gets around. You find out that the family is in mourning. One of the children has died, and no one knows how it happened.

The next day, they are all gone.

Your former neighbor is now the center of conversation around the block. “I never really knew them, but everything looked ok.” “We never really talked to them; I just assumed they were busy.”

Well, this video is what is happening to our neighbors as we assume that everything is ok.

The truth is that every piece of plastic we use and every molecule of CO2 we emit is killing our neighbor. We say hello to them in passing and feel as though we have done our neighborly duty. We cannot see the connection between our apathy and their bad fortune. Worse, we are actively causing their pain and completely ignorant of our role.

This does not relieve us of our responsibility. It can be a shock to the system to have our eyes opened, but it must be done. Our neighbors are dying because of us. Our share of the blame is ugly to watch.

Read Sarah’s post and watch the video.

 

 

I want to thank you again, my friend, and wish I could give you these roses in person, that are currently blooming on one of my windowsills:

 

Merci
These are for you, Dominique! Merci beaucoup! ❤️ 

Published by Sarah

Artist & Illustrator

33 thoughts on “My Friend Found the Perfect Words”

  2. Dear Sarah,
    I am very touched by your words and the sincerity of your gesture. It goes straight to my heart. Of course, we share the same concerns about the state of our planet and many artistic interests, but what explains in my opinion our friendship developed over the last two years is the sincere mutual desire to make a difference in this world. Know my friend that you hold a big place in mine and that you are a great source of inspiration. Thank you for these stunning peach roses. They are beautiful. P.S. Sorry for my late reply. I’ve been busy being a bad influence on Darren. I’ll let him tell you more about this story. Much love and hugs! xoxo

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    1. You’re most welcome, my friend! It’s a pleasure and an honor to be your friend! 😀 And I think you’ve totally nailed it about what drew us together here on WP. 😀
      So good to hear that you have a bad influence on Darren – I just had a glimpse of yesterday’s beer contest. 😉 Still laughing because of his sheepish grin. 😉 Much love and hugs! xoxo

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  4. What a thoughtful and beautifully expressed introduction from Dominique. That video clip is disturbing and the tragedy of our neighbors had stayed with me since I first watched it. Dominique puts it into the perspective of our everyday lives. It might as well be happening next door. ❤

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    1. She really put it into perspective, didn’t she? I’m also still haunted by this video, Diana, which, even though it’s horrible, is a good thing as it keeps me on my toes in terms of making sure that I live as eco-friendly as I can. Tomorrow here in Europe we will vote our new parliament, let’s keep our fingers crossed that people will take this chance to change our ways for the better! ❤

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  9. I do read Dominique but missed her reblog. Thank you for sharing with us here. I popped over to check it out but thought I’d tell you that when you add a link to hers, there is a little settings wheel that asks if you want to open the link in a new tab. Took me awhile to find it which is why I’m mentioning it to you. Then we can stay on your page and finish it as well as open hers in a new tab and see it too. I love her allegory for this and it is so spot on. We have neighbors here that I think are in some kind of difficulty but they keep to themselves and don’t ask for help. Neither can the ocean creatures and we all know how bed it is. I was looking at all the products we buy at the market that come in plastic containers and they can’t be recycled. Cottage cheese, yogurt, deli salads, etc. I’m beside myself trying to figure out what to do with these single use plastics because I don’t want to throw them out. I’ve planted flowers in some but I know hospitals throw out thousands of pounds of plastic a day. The nurses there are aghast at the amount of plastic waste. Restaurants here must have hundreds of pounds of plastic too. Everywhere I look, I see more! I don’t want to leave the house anymore. Because I still have to use a straw to drink anything, I reuse the same box I bought 9 years ago and collect some that I have been given in a restaurant so it’s not thrown out. People depend on those jobs but we need to find another way for them to make a living. So frustrated with this system. Thanks for shining a light on it.

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    1. Thank you so much for your beautiful comment, Marlene, and for letting me know about that link issue, I will have a look at it soon!
      I have the same reaction when I think of all the single use plastics that are dumped daily in enormous piles all around the globe. Just a single trip to the supermarket makes me despair – every cucumber is wrapped in plastic foil, all those bottles of toothpaste, shampoo and dairy products: everything is made of plastic these days! You can’t avoid it even if you want to. So I try to use as many of these items again if it’s possible, like those little plastic baskets in which strawberries come in. I use those to grow plants from seeds.
      Hospitals are a difficult topic I assume – we need those places to be as sterile as possible in order to avoid mass infections. But instead of simply washing their hands they use plastic gloves for almost anything. Around here they want to make customers pay a price for those coffee-to-go cups, but only 20 Cents or so. I’m afraid that people will still order those instead of coffee in a mug.
      I have a couple of stainless steel straws that I’ve been using for years now. They can be easily cleaned and used for hot fluids as well as cold.
      I really get your frustration as I’m feeling the same – I am stunned at people’s unwillingness to act, and sometimes feel like giving up. But that’s the one thing must not do. Just like Winston Churchill insisted – never give up. Never, never, never!

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      1. The hospitals use those incredible warming blankets that the nurses thought would be very helpful to keep our homeless population warm but they are not allowed to do anything but throw them away. I’ve tried every type of straw out there including the stainless steel. Because of the paralysis, I can’t hold onto them. So it’s back to the regular bendable plastic for me. I throw them in my dishwater and splash a tiny bit of bleach in the water and after 9 years, so far so good. I cut some off for coffee and tea cups. The place I have coffee at has the paper go cups but I sit and use a real cup there. Bringing my own straw, of course. But it’s the other departments that create so much waste. I bring mesh bags to put veggies in instead of using their plastic bags. Most of us are trying though many just pay no attention at all. So sad. Keep up the good work.

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      2. That’s such a shame about the blankets! I really hate these kind of rules and restrictions, they throw common sense and sympathy over board and replace them with heartless bureaucracy.
        I think no one would dare accuse you for using straws, Marlene, especially when you really need them. I think there always have to be exceptions to be made, especially for those who have difficulties of some kind or other. I remember having had to part from my wisdom teeth a couple of years back and using plastic straws as well, because they were easier to suck from. It’s amazing that your straws are still fit after nine years of use and bleach washing! Shows how resistent the stuff is.
        They’re starting to promote the mesh bags instead of plastic ones for fruits and vegetables here now too, and I already bought a couple.
        Yes, many are trying to do their best, but there are the masses that just don’t seem to care. I can’t imagine how it would feel being trapped in a mind like theirs – so selfish and thoughtless.

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  10. Great post, Sarah! By turning to the plight of a fellow human being you hit a more sympathetic spot in most everybody’s heart on the danger of global warming and climate change.

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    1. Thank you, Peter! Dominique has a unique way to reach her readers’ hearts and souls by choosing the right words. I feel honoured she used her magic on my post concerning global warming.

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