Audacious Perseverance in Mercurial Times

Throughout history, we have witnessed extraordinary individuals, many living ordinary lives, saving humanity from its continual hubris and shortsighted mess. Cemeteries and mausoleums, unfortunately, are permanently dedicated to them. Yet, I find cemeteries and mausoleums unnatural, as they both represent a barrier against nature. In either instance, the deceased is preserved and shielded against those processes which routinely occur in nature, thus mitigating any restoration to it in any natural way. This is one reason I wish to be cremated, returned to the ash and dirt from which humanity originated.

Naturally, our existence is arbitrary at best and insignificant at worse. There are uncontrollable, not to mention unknown, forces not only on this planet but also throughout the universe that could annihilate us in an instant. It would be naive not to believe that process already is at work, in some way, even perhaps either by our own actions or a higher entity beyond appeasement. What do we do with our finite time? We contend for, quarrel over, and give sanction to the even more arbitrary and insignificant.

Currently, humanity faces one of its greatest threats in the form of disease. In a rare and unprecedented move, the entire world, for the most part, has come together in solidarity out of necessity to expeditiously defeat this unseen enemy. Not since the Second World War has such global consensus taken hold to put aside selfish aspirations for the greater cause of the whole. Although petty squabbles - and the apparent need to score political points - have not subsided in spite of this circumstance, they are more in the periphery than anything of lasting substance. Of course, personal setbacks, economic hardships, political ramifications, etc, must be considered, but these are best left to contemplate and address after due diligence.

There are consequences in doing anything, but even more so in doing nothing. Perhaps, it is time humanity permanently casts away vice in favor of virtue. More importantly, it is long overdue for humanity to start acting humane - toward its fellow inhabitants of this world, and, especially, in respecting nature’s creations in general. After all, we are at the mercy of indefinite impermanence, and judgment could come right soon without notice if so chosen. Do something extraordinary in life, even if it may seem ordinary now or in the hereafter. 

©2020 Steve Sagarra