SAMPLE CHAPTER
A Neighbor Imperative
Broadening our scope as to who is our neighbor is an essential step forward on our road to a sustainable future for our species. Throughout our lives we have been on the nuclear precipice. At the same time through technological innovation we humans have come together like never before. Our face to face, physical interactions have increased enormously thanks primarily to air travel. Phone, Internet, TV, movies and other such communications have further linked us immeasurably together.
Why then is it also important to think and act differently about who is our neighbor? For far too long in history we humans have been surprisingly susceptible to leaders who seek to divide and conquer. Minor differences, real or fabricated, are employed to pit people against people. Ninety-nine percent of who we are as homo sapiens is the same. The negative approach has been far too successful, too often shouting above calls for working together for peace.
With the weapons that exist and our ongoing history of warfare, our species must come together before it is too late. Just because someone was born in another country with a different native language, adhering to different traditional customs and religious practices doesn’t make that person bad. Nor does it make us bad in their eyes.
Travel and communications advances are marvelous. These new opportunities in themselves are great steps forward. Yet, the killing, the warfare and indeed the threats of nuclear war from some leaders continues.
Broadening our concept of neighbor to extend across the globe is one vital step in backing off from the precipice. As individual by individual, as nation by nation, as region by region we must begin to see all peoples as neighbors on our common earthly home. As neighbors we respect each other’s rights to live in peace. Cooperation among neighbors reduces tensions. Compassion includes a hand up to others, near and far. As we collectively see each other more as neighbors and less as enemies we can survive and thrive. Our energies will be re-directed away from distrust and hate to mutual trust and even love.
My thoughts in the following essays and poems are an attempt to shine a light on some of the inherent emotions, struggles, yearnings and joys along this new path forward. May seeds for reflection be beneficial to you. My greatest wish is that we common neighbors on this planet bring out the best in each other. That arm in arm we take humanity to far greater heights. That we provide a peaceful, loving and nurturing place in which entire future generations can enjoy the opportunity for truly exceptional life experiences.