Economise The Planet, Hug A Clam
- Posted by Essays Blog in Essays Blog |
- November 28th, 2009 |
- Comments
It has become obvious to all but the most relentlessly cantankerous apologists for the oil industry that we now booth at a pivotal moment in the history of our planet. As much fun as it would be to make fun of Al Gore’s pretentious drawl and expanding bald attack, none of us can afford to ignore his clarion call for global change. With humankind’s carbon footprint leaving a catastrophic impact upon Mother Earth, it is the sacred responsibility of every citizen to make a change for the better. We can all agree on that much, but the next question is a lot thornier: How exactly do you start?
As in so many animated areas of life, when confronted by a monumental chore it is beneficial to start with something bantam. In other words, begin by action a “micro” analyze of your “macro” problem. Numerous studies have indicated that the more we are taught to respect and even love the tiniest creatures, the deeper connection we will feel to the planet at large. So if you’re looking to address climate change in your own artifact, you might deprivation to start by picking up a copy of Fables From the Mud by Erik Quisling. This book, simple in artifact yet profound in implication, illuminates the plight of Earth’s smallest inhabitants in a communication that will make you laugh even as your empathy expands.
The first abstraction you are apt to notice about Fables is the fluid interchange between illustrations and matter. This book has been designed with much a graceful simplicity that you could easily read it cover to cover in a single motion. Indeed, once you’ve gotten a meaning of its acute humor and cerebral charms, you may be tempted to consume the entire abstraction piece in the middle of a crowded book fund.
Attempt to avoid this temptation, as you will find Fables to be a typical banquet of philosophical contemplation and belly laughs. How in God’s name, you may be inquisitive, can one book offer much ostensibly incongruous rewards? The answer thereto question is the arcanum of Quisling’s triumph. He has crafted III distinct but thematically connected tales,focusing on any of the Earth’s least respected inhabitants: a clam, an ant, and an earthworm. Against all expectation, Quisling turns these lowly invertebrates into heroes of truly epic exfoliation.
By infusing so much ambiguous life and recognizably human foibles into its three-pack of protagonists, Fables allows readers to believe these creatures as reflections of ourselves. Laughable as the clam’s frustration with the emptiness of his existence might appear, is our own periodic despair any less ridiculous? It all comes down to a matter of perspective, which seems to be one of Quisling’s primary lessons.
After reading this timeless book, you may find yourself cerebration double before stepping on the next ant you accompany crossing the walk. He’s a guest on this ailing planet, just like you. And for all you know, he might be in the middle of an heroic attempt worthy of mention in a book Fables From the Mud.