"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."
Happy Earth Day inhabitants of the planet! Today is a great time to focus on the big and small ways we can all do our part at home, work, school and in our communities on a daily basis to nurture our planet and conserve our natural resources. Having been born and raised in Oklahoma, Native American culture has always been a big part of my life and a cornerstone of their tribal cultures hinges on respect of nature and the Earth. I was sent this years ago by a Chickasaw friend and it's stuck with me:
"You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves."
Some songs to celebrate the day with...I know that's pretty heavy but it's so, so true. Today is also a great day to forgo that ridiculously overpriced Starbucks latte and chuck a few dollars in the direction of an environmental charity. These are some of my favorites:
Of course the MOST obvious and one of my favorite of all time:
Marvin Gaye - "Mercy, Mercy Me"
John Butler Trio - "Treat Yo Mama"
Mos Def - "New World Water"
Midnight Oil - "Dreamworld"
Cake - "Carbon Monoxide"
Jack Johnson - "The 3 R's"
Cat Stevens - "Where Do The Children Play?"
Counting Crows - "Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell Cover)"
Country Joe McDonald - "Save the Whales"
Lynyrd Skynyrd - "All I Can Do Is Write About It"
Peter Gabriel - "Here Comes the Flood"
Alabama - "Pass It On Down"
Melissa Etheridge - "I Need To Wake Up"
Ben Harper - "Excuse Me Mr."
The Pretenders - "My City Was Gone"
Bruce Cockburn - "If A Tree Falls"
Jimi Hendrix - "Earth Blues"
Jackson Browne - "Before the Deluge"
Michael Jackson - "Earth Song"
Tracy Chapman - "The Rape of the World"
And several versions of one of the greatest songs ever written...you just can't help but feel hopeful and alive when you listen to it.
Louis Armstrong - "What A Wonderful World"
Katie Melua & Eva Cassidy - "What A Wonderful World"
Michael Buble - "What A Wonderful World"
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World"
Joey Ramone - "What A Wonderful World"
And I leave you with a parting thought that I try to keep in mind at all times in regard to our home...
"Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time."
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3 comments:
This one was one of my favorites thus far... who is the quote at the end from?
Breeziegirl, I honestly have no idea where to attribute that quote but it's something that a very wise woman shared with me as a young teenager and it's stuck with me ever since. If I happen to come across the originator, I'll let you know.
I think it would reinforce our sense of responsibility if we change that to ""We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we prepare it for our children.""
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