The Facts of Life

This is our home. It has existed for 4.5 billion years. Born by fire and the gases of our forming parent star. It has changed dramatically. It changed from a hellfire to world of blue oceans and tectonically active land masses.

It took some time before life invaded this tiny world. After being bombarded by comets and asteroids and debris from the forming solar system, amino acids came together to form protiens and the first beginings of life. Single celled organisms became bacteria and evolved further still. Most life thrived in the premordial oceans and left to dwell on the changing land.

Most of us remember the dinosaur. The Great Lizard who ruled the Earth 3.5 million years ago. A footnote in the annals of the univers. There was life before them. There was life after them. Their reign was brief.

Just over 1 million years ago, creatures that would one day evolve to become us emerged onto the landscape. As is the way with things, the strong survived. They adapted to the challenges they faced and their changing environment. They migrated from what is now central africa to populate the globe. We are them.

No matter if you are black, white or Latino. Whether you are American, Romanian, Italian or Irish. Whether male, female, transgendered; heterosexual, homosexual, metrosexual or bisexual. We are all human. We now have the capacity to shape our environment instead of our environment shaping us. We have the power to make dramatic changes; for good and for ill. We remain the only creature known to have existed ever on this planet capable of killing one of our own kind without purpose.

We war for land and power. We dehumanize those who are different. We fear what we do not understand. In the end we fear ourselves. We war against our brothers and sisters. We create chaos.

We have only lived on this blue/green orb a short time. We have accomplished much in our short history. There is much that we still can accomplish. We are all one race and one community. And we are not alone.

Look to the skies once in a while. Think of the countless worlds circling the countless stars that twinkle above the horizon. Ask yourself, "What is out there?" Remind yourself that the accomplishments we make and the discoveries we make are there for all mankind. Only together can we find balance and the peace for which everyone longs for.

My Own Hero

Growing up, as most of us do, I wondered what kind of adult I would grow up to be. I had my hopes and dreams. I knew I would never have superpowers or anything like that.

But I did feel like I had a purpose. An altogether altruistic purpose. I had to stand for the oppressed and those in need. Treat everyone as an equal, a fellow Terran on this green/blue globe. To unite people with common goals for the common good.

I don't know if I have, or ever will, succeed in these lofty goals. Sometimes I feel like failure; and somtimes I feel like a success. I try to keep my sanity in an insane world. I see the future as a bright place full of hope. No matter how grim things get, I know I can always hold onto that.

I decided long ago to be my own kind of hero. I decided not to fashion my actions and thoughts on what I felt others expected of me. I don't live my life in the hopes of some immortal salvation. I live by one rule: Live as well as you can and help when you can; lead a good and honorable life. If this is unexceptable, then I will live with the ramifications. At least I know I gave it my all and did my best.