On any given day, I have two oracles on my shoulders. They’re not that little angel and devil you’re thinking of. They’re different.
The first one is hopeful. (I picture her wearing cute Doc Marten Mary Janes, which I’m sure she got at a killer sale.) She’s chatty and animated, and she holds my attention with long, feel-good stories about everything we’ll do right in this world. She has no time for naysayers, and she says I shouldn’t either. She’s so optimistic and passionate that I find myself wanting to believe everything she says. So I listen and try to stay focused.
The other oracle is more negative. (God only knows what she wears on her feet.) She speaks less often and with fewer words, but when she does her voice can resonate for hours (or, sadly, days and weeks). That can make hope hard to hear. She’s armed with endless statistics and sobering details about the true state of things. On my best days, I thank her for keeping me informed about the reality of our situation. On my worst days, I just want her to shut up.
The thing is, we need both voices. To really make a difference, we have to stay informed, even if it’s sometimes depressing. And, without hope, there isn’t any good reason to keep plugging away. In fact, when both of these voices work together, amazing things can happen.
The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 is a prime example. For years, we’ve been hearing (and my bad news oracle has been reminding me) about all the harmful stuff that’s in the products we use—from perfluorinated chemicals in our non-stick pans…to hormone disrupters in our shampoo…to cancer-causing agents in our lawn care products. It can be overwhelming and depressing.
But, all of that could change! The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 would require companies to prove a chemical is safe for people and the environment before they put it into their products. The Act would also give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more authority to regulate against toxic chemicals.
It’s a huge change that’s long overdue! And, it’s only happening because a bunch of people decided to take all of that depressing knowledge and turn it into something hopeful.
So can you.
The Healthy Child Healthy World website gives a lot of great information on the specifics of the Act and ways you can show your support—like contacting your representatives by email or standard mail and telling them the time is now! It sounds like a lot of work, but they make it really easy. Check it out!
Doing something specific will make you feel good. And, it will show those two head-strong oracles of yours that you’re listening.
We’re all in this together,
Sara
