Reconnecting with Mother Earth in the Concrete Jungle
The lifestyle of the concrete jungle makes it easy for those of us who live in it to lose sight of the role every person on Earth plays in the preservation of our natural resources. The fact that lifestyle in the inner city consists of participating in a capitalist system makes it easy for us to take our natural resources in the city for granted. We tend to overuse valuable resources such as water, because we know that as long as we have some money, we will be able to pay the bill at our convenience and as long as we pay something, those resources will be there for us to enjoy.
Lately, as I have found myself in a tighter-than-usual economic situation, I am becoming more conscious of the value of these resources as well as of our dependability towards services like water, power and gas. But not only that, I am also remembering the teachings of my mother and grandmother in regards to our relationship to the elements that not just make our life comfortable but are sacred as well.
I remember once when I was a small girl my mother told me to go wash my hands. When I got to the sink I opened the cold water almost full blast. She quickly decreased the flow of the water telling me: "Ey, que no sabes que hay que cuidar el agua?!!" (Hey, don't you know we have to take care of the water?!) . I said nothing since I didn't remember hearing that ever before. She proceeded to explain that clean water was sometimes very hard to get for some people in the world. That water can heal if it's clean or infect us if it's contaminated. And that it was my responsibility to take care of it since we could never be sure if it will be there for us tomorrow unless we do our best to take care of it.
Another experience that has also been constant in my mind lately is the time my abuelita was watering her plants. I was also very small so of course, I wanted to help her. As I was watering her plants I realized she was talking and singing to them in a very loving way. This surprised me so I asked her why she spoke to them "asi" (like that). She explained to me that every plant has a special quality about it that made it unique and that each plant and tree has many purposes and healing properties. That we needed to communicate and bond with them just like we do with each other and with animals. She also explained that each of them has a personality and that they can become sad or unhealthy if they feel neglected by us.
I am just now coming to appreciate the value of teachings like these. I could not understand at the time that these were ancient ways of being one with the earth that were now being passed down to me because soon it was going to be MY TURN to take responsibility for my presence on Earth and our collective future. Now that I am a mother, I have the privilege to pass these teachings to my daughter as well. She can still honor and practice these teachings even though she is growing up in the city. Unlike me who grew up in the rich valleys and sierras.
We can all show our appreciation for our natural resources by improving little things in our everyday behavior such as:
- Regulating flow of water when use it in the sink.
- Taking shorter showers and being aware of how long our showers take to heat up. This way we can save water and gas.
- Picking up after ourselves when we have outings. So many people just throw trash on the floor adding to the already existing pollution and by not taking responsibility for our garbage we create a good environment for bacteria and viral infections to develop
- Replacing foreign flora for native plants and trees that produce. A lot of the urban vegetation in cities, specially in Los Angeles, are of Asian origin and do not produce. If we replace our lawns and invasive and non producing flora with native herbs, bushes and trees that produce or conserve water, our urban vegetation will in turn become an investment in our community as opposed to just an expense. When we plant fruit trees, medicinal herbs and bushes, these plants will provide fruits, veggies, herbs for tinctures, teas and some can even be used as hygiene products. Having these resources handy gives us the opportunity for economic growth.
Let's come up with more ways in which we can do our part to preserve our natural resources and uplift our community. Our concrete jungle residency is no excuse to neglect our existing resources and the creation and preservation of our natural resources. It's up to us to determine how far we go in our path to fulfillment.
Check out this art by Juan de Dios Mora: "Leading el Camino"
Beautiful image of our native dreams of ever lasting TIAHUI!
And here is a Maya Cenote. Ancient Natural Source of Fresh Water for the Maya.
Let's dream BIG!
