Olympic National Park, photograghed by Paul Symington on October 15, 2005.

We – Earthlings – animals, plants, and more – trillions of us – belonging to millions of species – all contribute to Earth’s incredibly wondrous biosphere. Together we can share and enjoy this planet as our home. As intelligent human beings, we can also share and enjoy the incredible richness of thousands of cultures, religions, philosophies, and spoken languages. Our biological and cultural diversity is an ever-flowing fountain for our humanity.

Yet in the midst of such wonder we are afraid. We find ourselves disconnected, small, caught up in the “rat race,” and when we think deeply, the shortness of our lives weighs upon us. Yet our capabilities are extraordinary. Of course, we easily make mistakes and are in need of continual growth, but the diverse gifts that lie deepest inside of each of us can bring us such joys, life, meaning … In a word, we can LOVE – loving the WHOLE and all individuals.

About five years ago, I had a dream where I ran up to a man who was considered a subversive radical, and I challenged his theories. But he just replied in a friendly manner that “The positive energies of government are far more compelling than the negative.” Realizing that he was not so dangerous, I asked him to be more specific. He replied, “Human cooperation should strive toward being enlightening, empowering, and unifying.”

Perhaps the beauty and resilience of Earth’s diverse, interconnected eco-systems can teach us that it’s time to stop racing – become still – look beyond our perspective – and join hands for the benefit of All.

We’re having a planning meeting for this year’s Dauphin Island Hands Across the Sand. We’ll meet at 5:30, Thursday evening, May 19, at Ryan’s restaurant (4439 Rangeline Rd in Tillman’s Corner). Ryan’s has a meeting room reserved for us. So if you’re interested, please come for our eating meeting (everyone pays for their own meal). Google Map for Ryan’s: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl