I went to Vietnam for 3 weeks with a dear friend of mine who I have known for almost 30 years.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to many parts of the world throughout my life. In my interest in sustainability – having this insight has proven to be a double edged sword. Fundamentally what ever people say people anywhere in the world are truly all alike. No matter where I have traveled, conversations flow the same, we talk of the weather, the changes in the world, our families, and how to say Hello and Thank you in each other’s languages. This gives me such great hope, an idea that we can truly conquer any problem that will face us as a human species. On the other hand I also see a world that is evolving in a way that just cannot be sustainable. So many people in this world live with so little, and as they have the right to lift themselves out of poverty, even just beyond poverty I wonder how we as a global society will do this?
To adequately house, heal, feed, provide clean water, sewage, and transportation for all of us cannot be done in the way we have started. I can say that by seeing it in action. I live in the state of California and I know first hand what it looks like when we try and get everyone in the state in a car… I have seen in many developing countries add the development of housing and I question how it can be done with the resources available?
I know the solution isn’t easy and it will come from a place of evolution and trial and error. I think the best we have to start is with ourselves and how we live and how if we know better we can make a difference, this buys us time. This gives others an opportunity time to make the changes that we need to.
So I come home from my trip with a sense of optimism for sustainability. There is a powerful undercurrent of our global connection and when we learn things, when we are inspired we are called to act and make a difference. Seeing how connected we all are makes me want to put more into actions and continue the path.
