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Eternal flame
This is the summer of wee ones. Under three. Over ten. And those in between. A gaggle of boys and one girl. My grandchildren, starting from the oldest, Jack, Bronson, Millie, and Hudson. Twinkling stars that light up my world.
I’m here in New York with three of my four grandchildren. Mr. Bronson had vacay plans with daddy and couldn’t make it to The Big Apple this year. His spunky joviality is missed. But three kiddos in the squished apartment, a patient lab-ish dog and Cheshire Cat-hairy rescue feline, Grandma and The Mother and Father are probably all this wee New York dwelling can handle amid the hottest global summer on record.
The kids are growing up fast. Millie is Miss Sassy Future Head of Some Mega Corporation. Hudson is our curious dimpled Future Engineer. And dear 11-year-old Jack, a bull in the China shop-big these days. Big feet, big voice, big appetite—especially regarding foods he likes like hamburgers, hot dogs, cucumbers, and pineapple. He is The Littles’ very own baby whisperer; fun, patient, protective, there to assist whenever “JACK” is screamed!!! Being kind isn’t new to Jack, but being immensely responsive to little kids is.
Jack is on the verge of trips like this not being cool. Hanging out with his younger cousins, watching “Peppa Pig”, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” isn’t exactly a Lego master’s jam. But he sits here, joining-in with the antics of preschoolers, changing his first diaper ever (with detailed instruction by no-megaphone-needed three-year-old Millie), and immersing himself in play kitchen, “Encanto” figurines, bedtime-book-reading wonder. Normally, Jack’s sheepish around tykes, but on this trip I’ve seen him fully embrace his role as elder cousin. The Wise One. A boy with a voice, a role model. And The Littles—putty. You should see the adoration in their eyes when they look at their strong, handsome cousin; it’s heart-melting.
Speaking of which, it’s damn hot here on the East Coast. Draining. Melting. Troubling. Bring on the foggy mornings, afternoons, and evenings of 70s Redondo Beach, CA. My body’s made for brisk. Not freezing, but Autumn/Spring sweater weather.
Here in New York City yesterday, there was an air quality alert, not based on Canada’s fires, but dangerous levels of transportation and factory pollution exasperated by the heat: Avoid going outside because the air is dangerous. Have you seen the Apple series, “Extrapolations”? Think Ray Bradbury’s futuristic predictions. From Apple TV:
“Extrapolations” is a bracing drama from writer, director and executive producer Scott Z. Burns that introduces a near future where the chaotic effects of climate change have become embedded into our everyday lives. Eight interwoven stories about love, work, faith, and family from across the globe will explore the intimate, life-altering choices that must be made when the planet is changing faster than the population. Every story is different, but the fight for our future is universal. And when the fate of humanity is up against a ticking clock, the battle between courage and complacency has never been more urgent. Are we brave enough to become the solution to our own undoing before it’s too late?
It’s terrifying. Not the just the series, but how we’re living, how we refuse to listen to reason, how we’re dooming our children and grandchildren, how we refuse to change course because we’re too stubborn, stupid, set in our ways and/or refuse to modify our lifestyles because we think it’s useless or deny science.
This heat, the extreme weather patterns, makes me want to scream to our “leaders”, Corporate America, gas-guzzling automakers, polluters large and small—-“Do something before it’s too late!”
I don’t get it: Why must we fight, protest, complain to the-powers-that-be, to step-up and do the right thing? But we do. And we must. Because our children and grandchildren are counting on us. Recent headlines confirm climate scientists’ dire warnings. Yet, we continue to twiddle our fingers and do nothing.
So, I’m doing it—again. Researching what the United Nations’ response to climate change is https://www.un.org/en/climatechange, contacting my local, state, and national representatives and compelling them to push Climate Change to the top of the agenda. Today’s contacts included:
EPA: Climate Change Division (202) 343-9990
The White House Climate Change Office https: //www.whitehouse.gov/cpo/
Advancing Earth and Space Sciences (provides letter template and suggestions about how to contact lawmakers): https://www.agu.org/Share-and-Advocate/Share/Policymakers/Contact-elected-officials
My daughter says, “They won’t listen.” And I get it. One person’s email, phone message, letter, is a blip in the scheme of things. But as Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi told my change-maker eighth-graders, “Here’s how it works,” he explained: The squeaky wheel gets attention; the more of us who nag, insist, and make our voices known, the more likely lawmakers will pay attention. “It’s a numbers game.”
In addition to writing emails and making phone calls, each of us can make small changes; instead of wasting, we can re-use. We can be more mindful. “Like the ripples from a stone tossed into the pond from the water’s edge, the effects of our choices extend infinitely outward. Even the smallest of acts reverberates in the ears of unwritten histories,” Justin Young reminds us.
Today’s entry started off with me gushing about my love for my grandchildren. Love is great. The best thing ever. But it’s not enough.
It takes 30 minutes to express your concerns to legislators and corporations. Do it twice a week, same basic letter but new contact, and in a month’s time, you’ve registered your p.o.v. to eight different contacts; multiply that by 20, 100—1,000 comments and the CEOs and politicians start to pay attention.
A few days ago, Jack and I visited President John F. Kennedy’s eternal flame graveside at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I flashbacked to the President’s assassination; I was in the second grade, 60 years ago. Why? my seven-year-old self-asked, and still asks.
Like others of my generation, President Kennedy’s words reverberated in me, inspiring a lifetime of service. “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
I’m retired now, enjoying life; no schedules, no responsibilities, no strings to tie me down. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still be Activist Granny. From my laptop. My phone. Before my lil’ chicks wake up. In between adventures. On the plane ride home from New York.
Dear Congressman Ted Lieu,
As a grandma, I’m scared, really scared, for my little ones’ future. We’ve mucked up the planet and it seems we’re too stuck-in-our-ways to fix it. My daughter says my voice doesn’t count, that writing a letter doesn’t make a difference. She may be right, but I grew up in a different era than her; my generation was inspired by JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. We were challenged to be of service, to step up and take-action, to be the change.
While I’m more mindful about what I consume and do my best to re-use and re-cycle, I know that my individual efforts aren’t enough to avert the meteoric crisis scientists have warned us about for decades. We desperately need leaders like you to grab the microphone and activate an army of change-makers. We did it during World War II and joined forces after 9-11; we need that same vision and determination to defeat Planet Earth’s most ominous threat—global warming.
Here’s what I’m thinking: As a respected member of Congress, you could use your position to rally music, film, and social media influencers—and invite savvy corporations like Amazon and Apple— to fund a multimedia campaign designed to pressure offending greenhouse gas-producing industries, and inspire change. Similar to waging a political campaign or introducing a new product to the market, the global campaign would articulate a collective vision—before it’s too late.
I know this is a tall ask, suggesting that you use your position and influence to kickstart a worldwide public service campaign—and you’d be right. But change, as we all know, often starts with the courage of a gutsy individual. Mr. Lieu, I pray it’s you.
With great respect and admiration,
Janet Barker,
LifeIZGood.com 
Hi, Janet. What a great letter! Thanks for this post. Yes…it’s awful to feel so trapped, unable to make a dent even in what seems so necessary! I’ve missed being here for a while and am glad to see this post and what you’ve been doing. It’s infuriating to see how wedded we seem to be to things that are negligible and addictive (when it comes to survival).
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