I say, shoot for the moon.

I have owned the film 180 degrees south for a few months now and fell in love with it the first time that I saw it. I love every aspect of it: the culture, the music, the people, the passion. So, I was really excited that we were going to watch it in class. I thought for sure that everyone would be inspired by the premise of the film and would really admire the stories of each character. What surprised me last week was that, not everyone took it that way... Yes, it was beautiful, but was it realistic? A lot of people didn't seem to think so. We can't just all drop everything and go to Patagonia and have this cosmic experience that gives our lives meaning. Or can we?

All that has become of my life and the future that lies ahead of me is based on my wholehearted belief that we can do anything we put our minds to. So dream big. You know the saying, "shoot for the moon. even if you miss, you'll land among the stars"... Well, I believe that's the message 180 degrees south was trying to tell us. Jeff Johnson said, "If I don't get on the boat, I know exactly what I'm going home to. If I do, my future is unwritten." We can choose to remain as we are, going through the motions, or we can choose to face "the fear of the unknown" and chase our dreams, accomplish our goals, change the world. The crew "shot" for the moon, getting to Patagonia to climb Corcovado. In the end, they did not quite reach "the moon", falling 200 meters short of the summit. However, the key was that not only did they get really close, but they recognized how far they had come, that they had "landed among the stars". All that they had experienced had blessed them with a deeper understanding of the connection between people and the natural world around them. It had shown them that in order to survive, and to begin to right the many wrongs we have done and continue to do to the earth, we must find that connection. And it was a message they wanted to share.

So, to those that say it's unrealistic, that you can't preach a mindset of simplicity and sustainability harnessed to aluminum scaffolds with nylon rope, that it isn't enough to walk outside and open your eyes to see the beauty around you, that you can't save the planet by showing the world images of the wild places threatened by economic demands thousands of miles overseas (images shot by a petroleum-fueled helicopter), to those people... I say: Rome wasn't built in a day. Would you say to a recovering drug addict who has recently taken to smoking cigarettes, "Wow, you really shouldn't smoke." True, yes. But we must look at things in the context of their circumstances. Although some might say that smoking is not a healthy alternative, I would say, it is a healthier alternative and transitions take time. Small steps are the most important part of making a change for the better. But it begins with believing that the change is possible and being surrounded by others that believe it too. While aluminum and nylon are not sustainable, they have an immensely smaller impact than the construction to build stairs to climb up the mountain or a road to drive up. While simply seeing the beauty around you may not be a tangible initiative toward environmental government policy, before anyone will make steps toward protecting the earth, they must know it and love it first. And no, helicopter-based imaging is not a zero-emissions undertaking. However, the amount of resources conserved by people who see such images (images they may never have the opportunity to understand otherwise) and are inspired to make changes in their own lives far exceeds the impact of the carbon cost of such a production. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the impossibilities of setting things back into balance, if we choose to take it on. What is difficult is to believe that it is possible, knowing that mistakes will be made, and it won't always be perfect, but every step gets us closer. And every effort leaves us further from where we were before.

You have two options in life, to walk away with your glass half empty or your glass half full. Will you try to change the world, knowing that even if you don't stir the globe, that making a difference in one person's life will still contribute to something bigger that may someday reach the world? or will you settle for things the way that they are because you believe that you are too small to make an impact of any significance, that the world is too far gone? are you too afraid to dream big because you are not sure what will happen "if you miss"? Since "smelling the flowers" isn't actually changing anything... what then? just do nothing? it isn't the crimes to the earth that are the most unjust. It is those of us who see it happening, and do nothing about it because we believe we won't make a difference. So, get on the boat, face the unknown, and try. Who knows, you may "have questions answered you never even thought to ask" (Yvon Chouinard).