This is the speech I wrote to share at last weekend's Earth Day event in Detroit. It was a bit scary leaping off into the world of speeches and belief. It's not easy for me to think I'm worth hearing. But that's the thing. This isn't about me. This is about the Earth:
The essential quality that I see as necessary for us is flexibility of mind. By letting go of what is supposed to be important and right as told to us by the mainstream we can rethink a better vision of what is truly important.
We are the tribe of the outsiders. We know who we are. Those who think differently than the mainstream. I see it within many subgroups, pagans, poly, kink, gamers, geeks, we are the people who think outside the box and that kind of thinking is exactly what is needed. We live in difficult times. This is the time of peak oil and growth overshoot. We live in the time of confirmation of climate change and the knowledge that we as humans have the power of the gods to shape our very existence. With great power comes great responsibility and this responsibility is on each and every one of us. We have the responsibility to find a better way to live. To seek a vision of sustainability not only for the spirits of the land and the gods and the goddesses, but for our children, and their children, and for ourselves as well. This is both an altruistic calling and a selfish one.
I have had visions of the future. I have seen the earth as a great river, a flood that comes and wipes us away as flotsam and twigs. She is powerful and there is only so much she can do to protect us from ourselves. In my vision I saw us as bits of twig and leaf being washed away by the force of the waters. But then, one twig caught another and braced against the bank. More and more twigs and leaves came together and caught branch to branch, leaf to stem. We built safe places in the onrushing flood, reaching out to catch others. And with each stem and each leaf our safe space became stronger. With each new person caught we were more able to create something new. This is the vision I give you. It is not a vision without fear. It is not a vision without pain. But it is a vision with hope. We have been told that this is the beginning of the age of aquarius. We have been told that this is the dawning of a new era. I tell you that a new era will not come unless we ourselves work for it. We are the Tribe of the Outsiders and this is our quest. To seek and make a vision of the future that is better than what has been gifted to us. We are pagans. We are the children of the Earth. I would say unto you we have the choice to birth a world that is equal for all, that celebrates all people of all races, genders, and choices. that lives our belief that we are walking on the sacred earth with every step. We have this power. This is the ultimate power from within ourselves to shape ourselves into something new and better.
The acceptance of your own ultimate power and responsibility is a fearful thing. The knowledge that we are the ones that will birth this change, that our parents could not do this thing that there is no certainty to sustainability and safety is formidable. But we must do this. Incrementally, one small change at a time. One choice, one meal, one garden. Let go of what the media tells you. Let go of expectation and outdated ideas of success. We are the Tribe of the Outsiders. Let us embrace our gifts that we may find our vision and lead the way to a true sustainable, beautiful, joyful new time that we may gift to our children and their children.
May it be so.
Thank for your time.
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