...in the springtime? It's quite lovely these days, believe it or not. As you may or may not remember, Ukraine which was then a part of the Soviet Union was host to the single worst nuclear power disaster in history. It is the only recorded level 7 instance as measured by the International Nuclear Event Scale. What is that, you may ask? Er... well... I don't know, but it's worse than a level 6 instance. And seven times worse than those pesky level 1 instances.
Anyway, I was watching a documentary on the History Channel where apparently radiation levels are low enough that so-called experts have gone back in to video the demise of the small town since the evacuation and subsequent 20 years of neglect. And you know what? Despite radiation; Despite level 7 instances; Despite man's knack for messing up in a pretty big way, nature is thriving. Animals and plants are multiplying and thriving. The rusty remnants of civilization beginning to disappear.
Think of our lives. Everyday, we leave a footprint on the universe. Oh the heck with that, everyday we leave a footprint on our neighborhood, our children, even the guy who sold you the stamps at the post office. And that footprint is either a lasting scar... or a memory of something kind and good. It's either a pleasurable experience that carries one through the day, or a level 1-7 instance.
The upside to all of this is that whether you choose to be someones hero or just choose to crush them into submission, your influence (good or bad) is a bit fleeting. The zigzag sneaker print slowly fades into obscurity. Just as there is a big difference in Chernobyl in the springtime of 1986 as compared to now. So I suppose, just for today, I'll choose to leave a good footprint on the public servant hawking my postage stamps. For in this life at least, twenty years of influence, well that can be a pretty good stretch.
1 comment:
That was a great documentary. I guess the real live Godzilla will be Russian.
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