In the recent weeks I have been thinking about my own mortality, and how this relates to the world around me. I have been thinking about the circle of life, more and more and how I am a part of it. In the grand scheme of things, we as human beings are at the top of the pyramid by far, and with this position comes responsibility.  I feel I have a duty to not only my own species, but also the animal kingdom beneath me. Why do they have rights when they do nothing but defend themselves, seemingly careless to human culture?

I have come to realize that from the earth I came, born from nothing, to the earth I will return. In the dirt my body will fertilize the soil and from me new life will come. Then I think, what is the value of life? Time. Mere time is the value of life, a life taken too soon is a tragedy, because of the time they have missed; in that time what things would they have done? What would they have become, now you will never know, but it would have happened anyway so what is the big deal? This may sound like a rant of loose-ended concepts, but here comes the part where I tie it all together.

It starts and ends with the circle of life; here I am at the top, with my opposable thumbs and brain more complex than those beneath me. What is important here? Is it what car I drive? Is it how big my house is? Is it the job I hold? The money I have? It is perspective, what you get from life is what you do for life, all life. Being green is not just turning your lights off, recycling and carpooling, it is making sure that life will follow, so that the circle will keep on moving. Making sure that what you do now helps life to follow, because life is all you have and time is constantly moving forward. There is no pausing this game. If you cut down a forest to build your mansion, what have you really done? Have you given to the circle or have you taken away? Your life will certainly be better, but is that what matters? When your time is up, have you given time to spur more life or have you taken their time away. Will your children’s children’s time be cut short because of what you have done for your own life. When I am dead, and roots run through what was once my body and from my chest grows a tree, I will be green, truly green. Until then I can use my time to prepare for life to follow. I have been given life, and life I will give, from the earth I came and to the earth I will return and the circle keeps on turning.