My Ethical Relationship to Land

When I was a kid in the eighties, there was a cartoon  that introduced a team of kids and the titular superhero  of the show "Captain Planet".   Each episode was about this group of heroes discovering some person or organization harming the earth in some way, whether it be by not recycling , improper toxic waste disposal, or any form of misuse or abuse of the planet and its resources. Up to this point in my cartoon watching career I was captivated by cartoons with otherworldly adventures, "HE-MAN", or  "Thunder Cats" . These shows were exciting and totally different from anything that could happen on our world of Earth. So after watching a show about saving our planet from Smog, deforestation, and harmful emissions into our ozone, I decided I was not a fan of this show at all.

Now you're  probably thinking "This guy does not care about the land at all!". Up until that point it wasn't that I did not care, in truth it was more like I did not know. You see  my upbringing socioeconomically, and culturally were devoid of information or discussion about anything related to a ethical relationship to land  or the impact to our surroundings. Familial relationships, friendships, religion, and recreational distraction or activities were our world focus. That's not to say my life was filled with negligent abuse or disrespect of our earth or its resources because we had our eyes on daily distractions or obligations. Thinking back I believe we did OK. We recycled cans, not to help our environment, but to make ends meet. We walked everywhere or took the bus, again not because of emissions, but because we had no car. So I guess you could say I had a inadvertently respectful relationship to my land as a youth.

So why did I dislike that cartoon so much? I believe it was because it put a face to dangers I never knew existed that could affect the world I lived in. My  reality, the possibility of land and resources as a finite thing, this was not another world it was here. I never watched again, because for a time I was safe in my naiveté, my worldview. Since then I have slowly been naturally educated in my travels outside of that world, by exposure to different cultures, experiences, and ways of living. I learned to respect and appreciate, and connect with a land in my own way

So today I recycle for a different reason , have one car but stay home most days, through my current world view and  my life experiences I do what I can. I appreciate and respect our land's beauty, and relish moments of connection with it, but more importantly live with compassion for our land as well as all creatures who reside on it.