Welcome to the Journey

The whole world is burning.

Everyday it’s hard not to delve into the news: horrors of murder and mass murder, police brutality, environmental devastation and rampant green-washing, class struggles, racial discrimination, imbalanced governance, and oh so many other examples of injustice swirling about us.  But I would be remiss to go there right away.

This is what world is often portrayed as by the media. 

I don’t believe that vision.

I’ve learned even in the furthest corners of the darkest days there are rays of light to behold.  Where there’s imbalance, there’s a constant struggle to rebalance, collaborate, and appreciate what is and work for what can be.  There’s a struggle for greater health and sustainability of our planet and society, this bringing joy and happiness within interconnected communities across the world.

The challenges of humanity are just a portion of a greater, remarkable picture.  Life, a relentless struggle of adaptation for achieving a balance in the chaos of the cosmos, has borne us.  In return, we’ve destabilized the well-tuned processes and resiliency of life itself as our thin atmosphere warms and countless species disappear forever. 

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the negative news of the status of the world and society.  I often am as I feel my voice, if I speak out, gets drowned.  But, I remember in the days after dozens of fellow students were murdered on my campus and a temporary memorial was set up on campus to commemorate each life lost; there laid one more stone for the shooter.  He shared this life, too.  Reflection amidst the deepest sorrow imaginable brought about an appreciation of his tormented spirit put to rest embodied in a simple blue-grey limestone block.   Even in the furthest corners of the darkest days there can be light.

Everywhere, every day, there are those rays.  Be it a friendly gesture like holding a door open, an act of lowering one’s carbon footprint, or a life fully committed to civil service without acknowledgement.  Those are the voices we need to hear and be empowered by, yet are being drowned out. 

I want to commit my voice here to finding, reflecting, and bringing together those rays of light.  I think we can drown the darkness, pull down the curtain and together reclaim our voices with renewed empowerment for the betterment of our society and world.  I want to seek out and explore the examples creating progress of a more sustainable world—balancing social equity, environmental balance, and yes—even the economy.  In this mindset, I hope to change our shared focus from the endless negatives to the constructive positives.

This piece is my premise for this blog, my lens of which I will listen, reflect, write, and act.  My goal is to write a piece at least every month, perhaps every two weeks.  I will be collaborating with an amazing individual, Katie, who has similar passions and is on a similar journey.  Together we’re going to share our voices, build off of each other, and likely offer sometimes contrasting views on similar topics.  I should also mention she’s my girlfriend (I’m such a lucky guy). 

I’m Bryce Carter and this is my voice.  Welcome to the journey.