I recently visited Bandon, a coastal town in Oregon, which is arguably the most beautiful beach in my state. It got me thinking as I was walking amongst the giant rock formations in the water and on the sand. These enormous lava rocks that support entire ecosystems have been here for millions of years. I'm here for a blip in time comparatively, yet somehow, I believe my 'human' being is more important because I'm not a rock. (I swear I haven't been drinking or eating edibles.) I notice trash and beer bottles from other humans that think this beach is for us; that we are here to use it. But that couldn't be further from the truth. We should be treating this beach and these mammoth rocks like they are sacred; that we are the stewards of, not the users of. This 'I swear I'm not drunk or stoned' revelation stems from experiencing this beautiful, wild, and natural coast and reflecting on this shit-filled year that has displayed human beings at our very worst. Our lack of respect for what is sacred and does not belong to us is disheartening. A post showing a baby elephant that was shot and killed by trophy hunters had me crawling into bed before 9 pm last night. I can't unsee it. A fucking baby elephant? I don't know how we can stop being such monsters, but I know it starts with kindness and love and not just towards nature, which should be easy to love because it's attractive, ethnically non-specific, gender neutral, speaks zero languages, and doesn't vote. We have to love, respect, and act kindly towards all the people too. As we're heading into the results of this election, I've been curious about how we'll handle the outcome. Will we be poor losers? Will we be gloating winners? Maybe. If we don't make a plan. Gloating and acting like we're taking something back could incite violence and hurt or kill people. Being a poor loser isn't going to help us fight for our democracy. We can't control everything, but we can manage our own behavior, words, and actions. This home tour with natural stone and wood walls reminds me of what is more permanent than I am and how I have a responsibility to give a shit about what came before me and what comes after me. đ·: @johnmerkl
