"Until we have learned to stand Grand Canyon deep in the earth, we shouldn't think of setting foot on the moon or Mars. "
___ John Moriarty, "Turtle Was Gone a Long Time"
The bequest of colonization is a miserable one, and it stems entirely from selfishness and greed; from a lack of respect for land, beast, and culture; from a superior attitude that leads to untold violence and abuse. Even where nations have extricated themselves and peoples have gained their independence, the legacy lives on. Colonists may leave, but colonization burrows ever deeper in the land and people, leaving crooked souls and wounded attitudes.
There are many who silently pray for a complete change in human behavior before the space program becomes much more advanced. It is one thing to live with animosity, selfishness, and greed upon our own planet; it is another to take those traits beyond our atmosphere to other planets and spread the plague of violence and disrespect there. But how can we learn to 'stand Grand Canyon deep' in our own planet, in the good earth from which all life comes, before the moment arrives?
To love what we have is perhaps more important than to aspire to that which we do not possess. To respect and maintain the earth, to find resourceful ways of living, is actually a greater challenge than to find ways of propelling ourselves at ever-greater speeds to ever-further destinations. Let us hope that the immensity of space itself may teach humankind a better wisdom.
"Meditate upon one of the uplifting places of the earth that you have visited. Go there in soul-flight now and learn from the spirit of the place what it is to live upon the earth with respect."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
Thanks Serenity Athenina!!
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