Ecology

 

 

Ecology is the name of this poem by PK Page:

If a boy

eats an apple

because a bee

collects nectar,

what happens

because a boy

eats an apple?

 Hmmm…. what indeed? Maybe the boy’s mother smiles with approval. Maybe the grower of the tree feels a sense of purpose. Maybe the core the boy throws away releases a seed that will grow into a new tree.

The ecological connections are many Some dictionaries define “ecology” as “a branch of science dealing with the relationship of living things to their environments." .Everything connects. That’s why parents are always advising their children to make good choices.

Because it matters. Every choice makes a difference. Why did we buy this versus that? Why did we choose to buy either? Why do we consume what we do? Where do we get our inforrmation? How does that affect our choices? What would PK say, if she were here.

I’ve been wondering about this:

 

If an anti-vaxxer chooses not to be vaccinated

because he doesn’t believe in science  

and he gets Covid, as does 

a homeless person who was unable

to find a place to quarantine

and so they both end up at the hospital,

what happens when doctors

are forced to make decisions

about who should be treated 

because the ICU beds are full of anti-vaxxers

who chose not to be vaccinated?

We all make some choices, but we don't all have the same access to health care and other resources.

If each person who has easy access to vaccines chooses to get vaccinated. and if people who test positive for Covid have places at which to quarantine, then those who are less privileged will have better access to medical care when they are sick.

 What you choose matters. 

Sometimes it’s a matter of life or death.