Photo: Matte painting of Claudia McKinney's vision of a city before the apocalypse. (Claudia McKinney)
Haven't you heard? Tomorrow is the end of days.
There's a glossy and fiery campaign sweeping the nation, warning humanity that the apocalypse is looming -- that tomorrow, May 21, we'll all go up in a puff of smoke.
Hmmmm. We have our doubts. With all due respect to extreme belief systems, it seems that our demise would more likely be brought on gradually by a puff of smog if we ignore our Earth-loving vows. The next 12 hours might be better spent in hypothetical preparation than by stocking our bunkers with dehydrated ice cream (thank you, Space Camp); there's no better time to unfold that cheesy "bucket list" and practice asking, "What if?"
Do what you love: If you had nothing to lose, what would you do? Yup, it's cliche and corny, but it's a cliche for a reason, right? Dust off your paintbrushes, put that band together, choose a career/major/path that really trips your trigger.
Help out: It's tempting to hoard time and resources when ambition means a long-term plan. If all of that energy and stuff were going to waste, it would be easier to share, right? Sign up to volunteer or make a donation to a cause you care about.
Speak up: Tell the people you love that you love 'em. Thank someone for something you've been meaning to thank 'em for. Apologize for that long-standing wrong you've been hoping to right. Use your voice to let people know you believe that Love is Respect -- and that there's nothing wrong with saying so.
Travel: Broaden your horizons and put things in perspective, experience a new culture, volunteer in a place that needs help, learn a new language and try new things. Teaching English abroad is a great way to afford living abroad while sharing knowledge at the same time. City Year has great opportunities to do service in different cities around the US.
actTAKE ACTION!
Keep the Planet Intact
Belief systems aside, we can all agree that loving Mama Earth is good for longevity, right?
