Fall is here. October is already bringing a chill to our campus. In the words of Paul Simon, “The leaves that are green turn to brown. And they wither with the wind, and they crumble in your hand.” The changing of weather always makes me think: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
I can remember these same lazy fall days from my childhood. Wake up. Realize whatever I have to do can wait, and I can spend the day in bed or relax outside while taking in the weather. It’s easy for me to think I’ll always have days like this. As long as I take care of what I have to do, the world around me will still be here.
The more I think about it, the more I know that it is a myth fabricated from the belief that certain actions will not result in consequences. The idea that our world is invincible and will always be around could not be any less true.
No matter how the human race got here, or how we got to this point doesn’t really matter anymore. As the next generation, we inherit what was given to us by the one before. It’ll be up to us what is passed down to our children. We have the opportunity to make a sustainable green earth for them, or we can watch as Mother Nature slowly turns on us until our planet is no longer capable of supporting life.
I’ve highlighted before how we can help better our environment in everyday life, so this is more of a call to action. This is a call to all future leaders so we can prosper here for many years to come, and so we can make a difference if we learn to cherish what ultimately keeps us living.
We are fighting all across our world. We are fighting about who has the right to be free, who can accrue the most money to control the stakes, who has the ability to blow up the most land, and whose god is the most righteous. The list goes on and on. The harsh reality of our situation shows us there is at least one true god, and that is the planet we inhabit. Without it, everything our race has done, good or bad, would be destroyed and shortly forgotten. Our past and our future would be erased.
We would never be able to answer the questions we fight about because they got in the way of our true existence. That existence, to me, is to fight for what keeps us alive. Fight for our environment, so one day we can see true peace happen. And so one day our kids and grandkids will be able to know that no matter what happens, they will always have another day to try again.
With all the troubles surrounding me, I still have the chance to sit under a tree and take in the air that keeps me alive. I want future generations to have that same opportunity. We can’t miss this opportunity to save our earth, or else the leaves that are green will turn to brown.
Grant Stover is a sophomore studying English and a concerned environmentalist. Email him at gs155412@ohio.edu
