Not Enough

Lately I’ve had more than my usual amount of time for reading.  It’s winter, days are grey and cold.  My wound is keeping me a little less mobile than usual so that adds to available time.  And of course, one of my passions is reading, so it all adds up nicely to more couch time with a book in hand.

The current book is Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.  I’ve known about this book for years, actually had a copy on my book shelf for probably 40 years, just never picked it up.  But a couple of days ago I decided to read it and I’m very glad I did. 

I know when it first published in 1962 it really rocked the boat.  It helped lead to the stoppage of DDT and many other insecticides, and really opened the public’s eyes to the dangers of environmental degradation. 

What’s really interesting to me is that a few months ago I also read Paul Ehrlich’s Population Bomb, published in 1968, it is another eye opener.  In it Paul Ehrlich explores the consequences of the human over population of planet earth.  A precursor, of sorts, to what we now call ‘global warming’.

Both books, written in the 1960’s, are a fascinating read in current times.  Because what I do is read some pages, get stopped by an interesting fact/statement, and then Google that fact to see how it stands now, in present time.   In the case of Paul’s book, basically everything he forecasted has occurred.  I’m not going to go back and recap those examples, if you are curious, do the work yourself.  But it is sufficient to say, that the human species is now, in my opinion, an invasive species, that is destroying our planet.

At least Rachel Carson’s book, to a certain degree, had a positive impact with regard to educating folks about excessive use of insecticides and managed to halt its destructive high use.

To be honest, I don’t have much hope for the future of our planet.  There are steps being taken to reverse some of the impacts, but unfortunately, not enough.  Not enough actions, not enough people on board, not enough.  It’s just a matter of time.  I hope with all my heart that I am wrong, but I seriously doubt that I am.

 

1996 vs 1936

In 1996 the Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta, Georgia.  Having always been an Olympics nerd I knew that I had to be there.  Living in Cincinnati made that totally possible to do.  Tickets were kind of expensive for someone on my meager salary and unfortunately, not everyone in my family was as much of a sports nerd as I am.  But I managed to set aside a week during the event and purchased six tickets to several events and managed to talk most of my immediate family into going with me. 

It wasn’t hard talking Mom, Dad and brother Jim into going…after all, I grew up in a very sports oriented family.  We bowled together, golfed together, Mom, Dad and Jim played softball on a church league and we were huge Reds/Rays fans.  Mom was an outlier because she also obsessed over basketball. 

My husband Pete, not so much of a sports fanatic, but he went along for the ride.  Katie, my step-daughter, also went along for the ride, I expect she didn’t have a clue what she was in for. 

So, from my perspective at least, it was a fun filled week.  We saw volleyball, baseball, dirt bike racing, white water kayak racing and a few other sports, but the one that was received with the least amount of enthusiasm, was 8-man crew racing.  That day it was just me and Kate who took off for the lake to watch the event. 

Maybe it was because we knew so little about the event and there wasn’t a huge crowd there that showed any amount of excitement, the day passed by with little enthusiasm.  I wish I could do a repeat performance.

I say that cause I just came home from watching the movie, “Boys in The Boat”.  Geeze, what a great movie.  Great because the story was exceptional, the acting was excellent, and the enthusiasm you left the theater with for the sport was spectacular!!!  In the early 1930’s there must have been an entirely different support of the sport, because in the movie it seemed that people just went nuts for the sport. 

It was a feel good movie based on a true story of the Washington State University team making it to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and coming home with the gold!!!  I love these kinds of stories…no violence, positive characters, a true story…what more can you ask for?  I might have to go and watch it again!!!