tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336235212011-04-21T21:45:33.751-07:00A grandmother's thoughts on the human spirit and what it can achieve. An occational dip into the realm of science fiction - and some possible flights of fancy.Grandmotherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326129681352532873noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33623521.post-1156996514601579542006-08-30T19:48:00.000-07:002006-08-31T07:20:13.173-07:00On 8/29/06 I saw the television listing for a program called "Last Days on Earth". The blurb said it would explain the seven deadliest threats to humanity (black holes, artificial intelligence, super-volcanoes, asteroid strikes, nuclear war, disease, and climate change), and reminded me of all the disaster films I seem to have collected recently. The listing also reminded me how recent world events (tidal waves, earth quakes, hurricanes, famine and war) engender my growing doubt that mankind will continue to survive, let alone prosper.<br /><br />At the same time, thoughts stirred by the listing's dire words reminded me that mankind has always faced horrific natural disasters. When only a few, fragile humans trod the earth, these weak yet intelligent creatures managed to forge ahead, succeeding to the top of the food chain despite the lack of sharp teeth, claws, and a hard exoskeleton. We certainly are not the fastest of creatures, nor do we have the keenest sense of sight or smell. It is with our intelligence and the ability to create and use tools that we have prospered.<br /><br />Some may question that success - haven't many of us when the affairs of man look bleak? Yet mankind has proliferated and filled the earth. This, I realized, is what mankind does and has always done. Despite the fact that many wallow in pessimism when facing disaster, war and death, there are always those who accept adversity as a challenge and look eagerly toward the future. This is why mankind has, for the most part, prospered.<br /><br />Thus, our species has already shown that we can take whatever the earth might do to us, but can mankind outlive his tendency to demonstrate superiority through war, or our taking from the earth until we destroy it? Can we survive a global catastrophe when we haven't taken the initiative to prepare for it? It seems we have become our own worst enemy - a cliche used so often because it is true.<br /><br />Yet, there are those who still accept the challenge of adversity. I salute them for their ability to look beyond the moment, and present circumstances, to envision the future and prepare for it. Their curiosity, determination, and sense of adventure; combined with the desperate need for survival will be, as always, what pushes us forward into all of our tomorrows.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33623521-115699651460157954?l=grandmothers-spirittalk.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Grandmotherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326129681352532873noreply@blogger.com1