A New Millennium
A New Millennium
January 1, 2000
A new day. A new month. A new year. A new century. A new millennium. Yesterday flows into today which flows into tomorrow. Where does the time go? On and on and on ....
At this arbitrary point in time it appears that the Y2K computer bug has been exterminated. The rollover to zeros has so far caused no major or even minor consequences. All major infrastructure systems continue to operate smoothly around the world. Technically all seems to be going well. Onward and forward. Full speed ahead at the speed of light! There seems to be no stopping man and his machines now. Will we completely forget how to be human?
Words for the New Millennium.
In the process of writing, I have become a writer. Writing is something that I now do regularly and being a writer is part of who I am. Writing has changed my life over the past two years. It has made me much more aware. Writing has guided my seeking and finding. Writing is part of my larger artistic approach to exploring and experiencing the world.
In my writing and art, I am in a world of my own, alone, interacting with nature and modern culture, ideas and concepts, words and meaning. Most of the time I cherish my aloneness. Sometimes I feel the pain of loneliness. My writing helps me befriend myself. My writing has made me a better reader. In the past several years, I’ve gotten to know many great writers and have traveled with them on wonderful adventures, among them: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, and Edward Abbey. They have inspired me to not give up hope but rather to keep writing to make a difference. I continue to write for them.
I know that I am not alone. I know there are many other artists, writers, poets, and philosophers out there living to celebrate life and to keep this world a sacred place in which to live. I look for their art and read their words. They too, help me keep my hope alive.
What can I do as a writer to help change the world? How can I, one person, make a difference? I believe it is important to write about the problems we humans have made and now must face, but I don’t want to be a believer in doom and gloom. I don’t want to believe that we humans are headed for hell in a hurry and there is nothing we can do about it. I don’t believe it!
Our language gives us many words for specific actions we can take to undo the damage we have done and to live more wisely on this earth. I offer a list of verbs to guide our actions.
Words for the new millennium:
Reflect
Regret
Renounce
Repent
Resolve
Rebel
Refuse
Reject
Resist
Refrain
Reaffirm
Readjust
Reform
Revive
Research
Restrict
Restrain
Rethink
Reinvent
Reinvest
Retrain
Restore
Reserve
Return
Redistribute
Replenish
Reduce
Reuse
Repair
Recycle
Renew
Re-create
Respect
Revere
Remember
Reward
Regenerate
Rejoice!
Every day each of us changes our world in very specific and significant ways. Every day we choose how we live. We are not powerless. We are not helpless.
I believe in hope. We can change, and we can change our world. Our journey will continue.