Seagull, my transformation
When I was 4 years old, I saw a national geographic photo of a seagull with its head caught in one of those plastic things that hold 6 packs of soda. I remember staring at it in fascination as much as horror, unable to tear my eyes from the gruesome image. The message was clear to me: humans do bad things to the earth, and the earth does not deserve it.
My parents believed in the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, that graphic images impede children’s capacity for imagination. Perhaps the reason this particular photograph had such an impact on me was simply because I had rarely seen anything like it. Whatever the reason, whenever I saw a plastic 6 pack holder laying on the side of the road after that, I would also see that poor seagull with the plastic digging into it’s head. Still, at age 19 I remember that picture clearly. For the past 15 years I have picked up every one of those fatal, nameless plastic things that I’ve seen.
The reason I chose this for my transformation essay is because when I was four I felt empathy for that seagull. I felt it’s pain, and I went out and did the only thing I knew of to try and make the suffering less. One little girl picking up trash may not sound like such a big deal, but I think it is. The world is big, and there are so many problems to solve. I think all we need to do is allow ourselves to feel empathy, and to do what it tells us to do. It has become a ritual for me, a sort of homage to the earth, and to the spirit of the bird that spoke to my heart so long ago. Perhaps by now it is just habit. And yet, how will good habits start, if we don’t allow ourselves to feel?
My parents believed in the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, that graphic images impede children’s capacity for imagination. Perhaps the reason this particular photograph had such an impact on me was simply because I had rarely seen anything like it. Whatever the reason, whenever I saw a plastic 6 pack holder laying on the side of the road after that, I would also see that poor seagull with the plastic digging into it’s head. Still, at age 19 I remember that picture clearly. For the past 15 years I have picked up every one of those fatal, nameless plastic things that I’ve seen.
The reason I chose this for my transformation essay is because when I was four I felt empathy for that seagull. I felt it’s pain, and I went out and did the only thing I knew of to try and make the suffering less. One little girl picking up trash may not sound like such a big deal, but I think it is. The world is big, and there are so many problems to solve. I think all we need to do is allow ourselves to feel empathy, and to do what it tells us to do. It has become a ritual for me, a sort of homage to the earth, and to the spirit of the bird that spoke to my heart so long ago. Perhaps by now it is just habit. And yet, how will good habits start, if we don’t allow ourselves to feel?