OF THE PASSION THAT CONSUMES US
2019
My entire being now revolves around what we do. Although it’s crept up on me, I’m taken aback suddenly to realise how much my life has dominated by this mission, this goal. My day-to-day life is structured by it, most of my friends are in the same field, the majority of my time is spent working towards it somehow, every minute and every penny I spend contribute towards it. I think about it every day and hour of every day. When I look at others I can see the same passion burning in them. The glint in the eyes, the fervour in their voice, the determination in their movements. This is a career born of love and dedication….
Nothing has ever inspired me so powerfully. Nothing has ever given me so much hope or such a sense of purpose. Nothing has been so clear to me as these visions that I have for the future. I call them visions, because unlike hope or dreams they feel solid, tangible, traceable, catchable, possible, achievable – reality in the making.
What I am planning is nothing short of revolution. What I’m expecting is an entirely new era for humanity and the entirety of life on Earth. But I’m not foolish enough to think that this can be done alone. While people are the source of the endless destruction I hope to put a stop to, they are also the key to reaching our goals.
Spark, shelter, and nurture the flame of passion until it roars. That energy, that power, can be harnessed to change the world….
How do I use this strange mass of flesh and blood and bone that I inhabit, to make changes?
The answer, I think, must be: piece by piece. You cannot build a tower without knowing how to lay brick.
Let these legs push me to where I am needed. Let these arms pull the weight that must be shifted. Let these hands make what needs to be created. Let these eyes find the world’s beauty and these ears listen to its song and let this mind see its truth. Let this mouth speak with elation and with venom, to inspire and infect others, to bring them into the fold and welcome to our cause. And so we will shovel dirt, build walls, give medicine, take notes, snap photos, hike trails, count birds, catch frogs, tag sharks, eat rice, plant trees, clean boots, sharpen knives, train minds, write articles, crunch numbers, attend conferences, edit videos, connect people, call specialists, invent machines, create solutions, and above all, protect wildlife.
It makes me calmer, that: to know that we can make a better world step by step, piece by piece. Now I feel less daunted by the immensity of my life’s purpose. I wonder how long it will take, or if we’ll ever get there. Perhaps we’ll reach this brave new world in a decade, perhaps we’ll still be moving towards that long after I’m dead. But remembering my nickname and looking in the mirror at Icarus’ wing tattooed on my shoulder, I know it doesn’t matter whether I’m here or gone. What matters is that we keep moving on and on until we get there. My wings may melt, But the rest of you will reach your destination. When the light leaves my eyes, and I pass on, do not weep for me, for I am not dead. Throw my body to the crows, push it overboard, cast my ashes on any lost patch of ground: I’ll not care, that shell was so little to me. All that I ever was and ever will be lies in the flame of passion that consumed me the same flame that burns in all those who believe in what I believed. I’ll not be dead until my dream is, I’ll not fade away until my vision does, I’ll not be gone until all my hopes are.
When you live in the world that I see in my mind’s eye, and our journey is complete, perhaps then you could look back and remember my name – but let it be with nothing more than a smile and a nod, as now my soul is laid to rest in peace.
