Everything’s weird, everything has been weird lately– especially the Creek Monster Project– as a result of the virus. I joined the class thinking I would get away from the normal routine of sitting in front of a computer all day long but when the project started I immediately went back to my roots and chose to join the team focused on the internet! That’s okay though. It’s what I do best, and it feels good when I’m able to contribute meaningfully.
After everything, I hope the UT community has a better outlook on precisely how much they can do to help things. Everyone is so concerned about not making a difference, but according to every time travel movie, book, and story, the characters are so afraid of doing one tiny thing that causes massive change for the future (I’m looking at you, The Sound of Thunder…). The best day to plant a tree was twenty years ago but the second best day is today! People can individually plant trees, mind their waste, *and* go out to tell off those enormous companies that pour poison directly into the mouths of fish in the river.
(Side note: Austrian Wine Poisoning of the 1980s; wine manufacturers were putting in chemicals in their wine that made it taste sweeter, but caused paralysis and brain damage in people. When the scandal started surfacing, they got rid of the wine by pouring it into the river, destroying all life there, and subsequently outed themselves. This really isn’t anything new, and it’s one of the few that are actually publicized)
I hope people understand the magnitude, the scope of what they can do. I know everyone already knows about it, but so much life has returned to our planet now that people aren’t emitting as much pollution by being out. I know people have family to take care of and bills to pay, there’s a delicate balance that needs to be struck. But at least we know now that it’s more than possible. There’s a lot at stake, but they aren’t immediately visible. It’s the long term effects of what we do to the planet. I’m not worried about us ruining the Earth yet, but I believe more in the eventual purge of humans if we keep this up. One day the Earth says, “I’ve had enough” and out we go.
The Creek Monster is fun, it’s imaginary. It confronts people non-threateningly, and that works for a lot of people. Some people however have to be confronted less gently. I guess this is our little niche in the activism front, and I think that’s perfectly fine. Before the project I was aware of the situation, but was passive in its action. It feels good, it feels relieving to think that I helped out, even a little. I think it’s given me more confidence in being more outspoken about the matter. I’m not going to be selfish and not care because it really doesn’t affect me, but it will affect the people I love that live in a later time than me. It’s a source of empathy.
