I Love Trees

Today was my rest day from running - for me it's not even about necessarily resting from running - but also having space to allow time for walking.  I love Running but I also love walking - not speed walking or power walking - or racing to get to a destination - just the type of walking where you allow your intuition to guide you - to take you on a journey - tapping into your body and getting out of your mind.

As I was putting on my joggers, my boyfriend was watching the news and it was heartbreaking to read about the 39 people who have been killed in Moscow as a result of 2 female suicide bombers who blew themselves up in two separate stations on the Moscow metro yesterday morning.  It was upsetting!! Watching or reading the news is always upsetting to me.  I remember years ago, our company challenged people reading the news - saying that it is all negative news - and encouraged everyone to invest time in positive material.  At the other end, my Dad has always challenged me to read the paper - or challenging me because I rarely read the news.  Even when I flick through the Sunday paper, I am selective in what I read - I choose to be selective - not ignorant - not not wanting to know.  It certainly does not mean I am not concerned with world affairs or big issues or the suffering - on the contrary - I am silenced and saddened by the suffering - and I am also dedicated to increasing my knowledge and awareness - to help me be more conscious - so that I may Spread The Yellow.

As I was walking out the door, I said to my boyfriend that I don't understand, why when there is often so much human suffering, that can happen so suddenly and outside our control, that brings such devastation, why humans choose to inflict suffering on others - or make life harder for others?  Hmm...

With that thought, I kiss my man goodbye, wishing him a happy day, and walk out into the world.  Today was a rainy day - but no reason not to walk - I grabbed my umbrella (yes, my Yellow umbrella) and was happy to be outside.  Yellow always brightens my day - even my Yellow umbrella on a rainy day.

                  

My walk was lovely and relaxing.  I found the sky a good analogy for life - despite the clouds, there is still a brightness and a beautiful glow.  I walked up along the beach, admiring the view.  I feel so blessed to live where I live - to be so close to the beachside. 

I love walking along the beach - and I also love walking along the Bay - Gunnamatta Bay.  My friends from up the coast once visited me and they absolutely loved Gunnamatta Bay - they kept saying "It's Gunna Matter" one day - they were so impressed with the area.  I love walking along the beach in low tide and I love just walking through the natural bush-setting park- it is so natural and peaceful.  My boyfriend had rung me just as I was entering the Park - but being free of the phone, free of words, quiet in silence is what makes this walk so special to me.  As I am walking through Gunnamatta Bay, I notice a tree that looks like it has been crying - it is the sap on the tree.  The tree is sparce, not many branches or leaves - but I am happy to see that the tree is still living and breathing and attracting life - a bird, a small insect, a centipede.  I am then delighted to see all the planting of new trees - they have probably been there before (have I been too busy, lost in thought, or trying to relax, that I have failed to notice?) - there are 30, 40, 50 baby trees, all being protected with wiring fences to give them space to grow.  It warms my heart.  I Love Trees.

                           

As I am feeling so happy about the planting of Trees - I am then devastated by the sight of a Tree being cut down.  About 4 workmen are putting up a baracade, and one man is up a Tree with an electric saw.  Instantly, I feel pained in my heart.  This beautiful Tree being cut down.  I stand nearby in shock.  I then ask a workman the reason why this Tree is being cut down - he tells me that they are clearing space for a new marina.  I am speechless.  I look at the tree branches cut into pieces on the ground and the tree is gradually being cut, one painful piece at a time. I look around at the other Trees in the local area - the slight breeze is softly blowing the leaves - it seems that they are waving goodbye to their friend.  Now I know why the other Tree is crying.  I now have a knowing what must drive the Greenies - the feeling that I too could chain myself to save a Tree.  It is not the exact image below -but can you image -just being present to the destruction.

                                         

And this is just 1 tree - which immediately turns my attention to deforestation - I realise that I need to be more conscious.  Did you know that an area of forest equal to 20 football or rugby fields is lost every minute?  I turn to the Internet to learn more - http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm. Just some of the facts from this website include:

- Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6%

- Experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years

- Experts estimates that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation - that equals 50,000 species a year

- As rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases - currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources

- Most rainforests are cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for its timber value and then are followed by farming and ranching operations

- There were an estimated ten million Indians living in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries ago - today there are less than 200,000.
- When a medicine man dies without passing his arts on to the next generation, the tribe and the world loses thousands of years of irreplaceable knowledge about medicinal plants

- Experts agree that by leaving the rainforests intact and harvesting it's many nuts, fruits, oil-producing plants, and medicinal plants, the rainforest has more economic value than if they were cut down to make grazing land for cattle or for timber - the latest statistics show that rainforest land converted to cattle operations yields the land owner $60 per acre, and if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre - however, if these renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the land owner $2,400 per acre.

If these facts aren't heartbreaking enough - my attention then turns to the plight of the Orang-utans - reading that their rainforest is being destroyed for palm oil at such an overwhelming rate, costing the lives of 50 Orang-utans per week.  Now that breaks my heart.  Experts predict that Orang-utans will be extinct within 20 years.  There are some terrible, heartbreaking images on the web but I have chosen to show a beautiful image of the Orang-utan - I love that Orang-utan comes from the Malay language and means 'person of the forest'. 

While the image above captures the beauty, if you are interested in learning more, there are so many websites that further explore the horror of this situation. 

But now for the hope - what can be done - what can I do?  I Love Trees, I Love Animals - what can I do?  I instantly draw in strength from one of my favourite quotes - "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." (Helen Keller)..." my philosophy - my principles - my wanting to Make A Difference.  And I remember that my being aware and conscious in my daily choices, can Make A Difference.  I can choose to use recycled paper and less paper, stop getting throw-away cups from Gloria Jeans.  I can also be more conscious of choosing palm oil free products - see this great website http://www.orangutans.com.au/Orangutans-Survival-Information/Helping-you-buy-responsibly-Palm-oil-free-alternatives.aspx.  I have been so shocked of how many products contain palm oil - but pleasantly excited by the opportunity to be aware and make better decisions.  It is good to see that Lindt Gold Bunnies are confirmed as palm oil free and Cadbury has also confirmed that its dairy milk Easter range is palm oil free.  I am also happy to see that my boyfriend's favourite cereal, Sultana Bran is free of palm oil.  I am also happy to see that soap without palm oil is available, including, to my surprise, a Woolworths Select Brand and Herbon from selected health food stores.  Huge day today - so much to consider...

In fact I was happy to have some lightness and be introduced to a wonderful story on Today Tonight about the 'Free Hugs' You Tube Clip - that was one of the most popular in Australia - YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS - http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-Youtube-Video-Free-Hugs - this clip makes my heart sing.  This guy, during a time of his own darkness, was given a hug by a stranger and he felt wonderful - so he was inspired to go out and Make A Difference - I am inspired by this guy, who clearly is a great man, who in such a simple way is able to Spread The Yellow.

If you read my Blog - I invite you to become more aware and more active in your choices so that we can Make A Difference, Save Trees, Save Animals, Spread The Yellow, Offer and Embrace Free Hugs...