People, We Have a Problem
For the reader to understand what follows, I need to introduce myself. I’m Dave, and I’m a baby. Nap time is soon so I’ll be brief.
Normally, I would stay in my lane and do typical baby stuff. You know: eat, sleep, coo a little, and mess my diaper. Unfortunately, I’ve heard and seen a lot of news, some from before I was born, and we have a problem. The world’s burning, I’m worried, and you don’t seem to care.
You’re the Cause
At the moment, I consider myself lucky. I have food, clothes, a safe place to sleep, and parents who love me. Unfortunately, too many of my global cousins can’t say the same. They are struggling with all manner of difficulties: hunger, thirst, heat, cold, disease, injuries, abuse, being orphaned, and a real risk of death. Pardon my French, but why the hell? Why are you adults inflicting such trauma on the fragile and faultless?
Don’t waste my time blabbering some complex bullshit justification. I already know the answer, which is simple, but you may be too involved to acknowledge it. You want control, and you’re selfish.
Now, I’ll admit I share those characteristics. When I’m wet, I want to be changed; when I’m hungry, I want to be fed; when I’m tired, I want to sleep. And if I don’t get what I want, I’ll cry until someone figures it out. I’m a baby, so I tend to think only about myself. Is that also your excuse?
Being a baby, I’m limited in how much damage I can cause. Sleepless nights for my parents is pretty much my top end. Now, if like you, I had the power to burn the house down, I’d exercise a little more care before I went off.
Narrow-Minded
In case you weren’t aware, babies listen and watch. We see how some of you look at and treat those who have different skin, use different words, or wear different clothes. You’re afraid of different. You fear what they might do to your way of living, to that control you covet.
Unfortunately, rather than trying to understand your fear, you let it ferment in the dark cellar of your selfishness until it gives birth to hate and a willingness to destroy. In your wake, we see shattered lives and endless retribution. Over and over and over again, your narrow-mindedness causes suffering. Are you capable of an encompassing view of reality, a maturity consistent with your power? Unfortunately, “No” is the honest answer for too many of you.
Greed is Not Good
I’ll tell you another thing I see. Greed. Sure, you need some money; it’s key to accessing life’s essentials. However, just because some is good doesn’t mean more is better. Once I’ve had my fill of milk, my stomach rebels if I suck down more. That’s unpleasant for me and whoever happens to be near. Everyone’s better off if the milk is shared with my hungry cousins.
We Are Dependent
That brings me to my final point. As a baby, I’m pretty helpless. I’d be up the proverbial creek without a pacifier if it weren’t for others. Now, I shouldn’t have to say this, but that dependency thing is also true for you. Doesn’t matter if you’re a big shot. Doesn’t matter if you think your position or money allows you to have the last word. You’re a person, not a god. People depend on the help and well-being of others. No exceptions.
Our dependency doesn’t end with people. Take away the air or food Earth provides, and humanity is toast. Seems like a reason to treat our environment with kindness rather than abuse.
As a crude analogy to the environment, consider my diaper. It would be nice if it magically vaporized my output, but it doesn’t. It can accommodate only so much shit, and ignoring or denying warning smells will only make things messier.
My Pre-Nap Wrap-Up
The fires we face are fueled by those greedy for selfish control. They inflate the importance of their desires and discount the needs of others. While selfishness is inherent in babies, it should fade as we grow, learn, and come to realize we are each only a temporary presence. Too often, selfishness persists, and so do the fires that waste resources and lives, and cause babies to grow up before their time.
