To Hell in a Handbasket

or something like that.

Scorched earth. photo by author.

I don’t like it that I can’t live amongst nature and still live a modern life. It is as though the two are not allowed to go hand in hand, and that concept baffles me. Why did we not build our cities around nature rather than over it? Why did we not build up rather than out? Why the urban sprawl? Why the desire to possess both front and back lawns? Society does a superb job of teaching us to want and own things.

I have plenty photos like this. photo by author.

Our selfishness makes me want to punch everyone square between the eyes. Ah, but it’s not necessarily individuals that are at fault, for I blame a lot of our greediness on culture. Society does a superb job of teaching us to want and own things. True, there are some cultures out there that still live in an agricultural communal-type society, but they are now the exception rather than the rule. Most of the people on this planet now want and take for themselves whatever it is that they can lay their grubby little paws on, possessing little foresight on what might be left behind for future generations.

A story within a story. photo by author

Does no one think that perhaps some people might actually be here in 200 years? A thousand? Shudder to think about that, huh? What if it was you or I? Do you think that we’d appreciate the lack of effort that was put forth in giving us a healthy and secure planet to live on? Man, I’d be so pissed at us, those of us that are here right now at the beginning stages when the strain of industrialism is just starting to rear its ugly head. We technically have a shot at modifying our activities and basically saving the planet, but the hell if anything that makes our lives comfortable will have to be sacrificed.

This was nice desert once. Like, just a couple of years ago. photo by author

I really don’t know what to say about the futility of our inactions. It’s disheartening to really sit down and think of the future. It’s one thing to say, “Well, I won’t be here to see it,” and it’s a whole something else to say, “Well, somebody else actually will be here to live it.” Somebody will inherit our cruddy future, and it’s embarrassing. I’m calling a spade a spade: we’re fucking up.

This is what fucked up looks like. photo by author.

Of course, there are plenty of people that would argue that the world is doing just fine, and let me put it out there that I am not here to argue. Maybe some think that all of this is a matter of opinion, whereas if that’s the case, then it’s my opinion to say that the earth is getting screwed. I’m not going to dedicate a paragraph to bantering back and forth on the matter of how we are or not damaging the planet, so let everyone right now settle in their minds whatever it is that they want to believe and move on from this point. I am aware that not everyone thinks that the planet is going to hell in a handbasket, so be it. But I reserve the right to think that it is.

Poor little cactus. photo by author.

I’ve pitched my tent and will camp here forever, or for however long forever lasts.

All photos were taken after the September, 2020 Sears Fire near Phoenix, AZ.

When the desert burns. Image from Inciweb.

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