I’m grieving for the future
Big Sur
Earlier this month, Ben, one of my best buds, visited me in San Francisco for a few days. We've been planning a camping trip to Big Sur since the summer.
This trip was perfect timing and very much needed after what happened with the 2024 US election. It was a good time to escape for a bit and get away from all the news.
The morning of our first full day in Big Sur, we jumped into the car and drove south on Highway 1. I wanted him to see as much of area as possible. We stopped along the way to take in the views and hikes.
Eventually, we ran into a road closure on Highway 1. A few signs and cones blocked us from continuing our drive. This was just the latest road closure over the last few years. A scene we're unfortunately seeing more and more of these days in Big Sur.
Droughts, along with torrential rain, has caused erosion, landslides, and rockfalls causing road closures, damaging ecosystems, and inconveniencing the people who live in the area.
Living in California, we're seeing more natural, I mean "man-made", disasters such as; wildfires, mudslides, storm surges, droughts, etc. Many of us are becoming numb to these events.
The image of this road closure has stayed with me. It's another example of witnessing the impact of our climate emergency up close and personal.
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In 2023, I took part in the first Climate Wisdom Fellowship program, a four-month long leadership and interpersonal dynamics training for leaders across climate, regenerative, and social impact organizations.
During our in-person retreat, we participated in a Grieving exercise.
The prompt;
Bring in an object that represents your grief towards our future.
I grabbed a cast iron VW van that one of my best friends gave me for my birthday.
During the exercise, I shared with the group what this little toy car represented—all the road trips with my loved ones that will never happen because the beautiful places I want to share with them will no longer exist due to our changing climate. It grieves me to know that the experiences and memories we would have together won’t happen.
Since NOV 5, I've been grieving for the future. I'm grieving for my family's future. For my family's family's future. I'm grieving for my friends, for their families. I'm grieving for you. I'm grieving for the people who live in Big Sur. I'm grieving for people all over the world impacted by our climate breakdown. I'm grieving for people who will be impacted by our climate breakdown.
Yes, we know the next few years are crucial in addressing our climate emergency. It sucks to know that the US government will no doubt back track in taking action.
Over the coming decades, we'll see more and more man-made disasters. Many people will not be ready for them. The emotional, mental, physical, societal, and economic impact will be impossible to measure.
Even though parts of Highway 1 are closed, seeing the signs and construction equipment signifies that work is being done to repair and heal what has been damaged. It's a sign of determination and perseverance. It's a sign that if people come together and invest all of our collective knowledge towards a shared vision, we can allow all living species to thrive and flourish.
Ben and I enjoyed our Big Sur trip. We caught up on life, family, work. We talked about our future, the future.
I was happy I was able to share this special place with him. I'm eager to share more places like Big Sur with others while I/we still can.
There are lots of special places in California and around the world. Let's go outside and take in the beauty. Let it be what energizes all of us to see our home in a way that makes us want to protect it and heal its wounds.
Onward.
