Thebattletoliveinsyncwithnaturemaynotbewiththeplanet

This short story is derived from

Adaptation
, a socialphilosophy ecofiction novel. It
endeavourstoconveyhowhumansattemptthetaskofadaptingtotheirenvironment.

http://www.huxley.id.au/adaptation

A Humans Approach to Adaptation

by

G.C.Huxley

Many, many years ago we had already mastered how to obtain the sustenance we
needed from this planet. Weve continued to evolve our lives, technology and environment
since, but to what benefit? Im losing the ability to cope We consider ourselves the top of
thepyramid,butwillourhumantraitsleadtootheranimalseventuallysupersedingus?
Itseemsmymindhadwanderedasourploddingtrekbecamethenorm.
Highrises unto small singlestorey dwellings unto hardly any buildings at all after
reaching the outskirts of the city, our surroundings mainly entailed farmland, old roads and
many powerlines. Some houses appeared to meliketheywerepreviouslybarns,leadingme
to assume much farmland had been abandoned and reused. Many old vehicles laden with
substandardfoodstuffssped past usaswemaintainedaslowwalkingpacebesidetheroad.I
observed that I had automatically fallen into step beside the older Ashoka. IknewBodhiwas
trailingbehindus,butnottoofarformetoworry.
With each notable difference in scenery, with each step closer to home, my excitement
had grown further. However, something seemed incomplete and hollow,givingmeanagging
feeling of loneliness.I already missed a friend that Id made in my first visit toabustlingcity,
buttheoddfeelingwasntthat...
At least an hourpassed since our departure, and our slow walk had become a trance of
similarrepeatingsurrounds.
I gazed dreamily at the heavilyworkedlandoverthe adjacentwirefence.Thecornplants
lookedslightlybrownandthirsty.
Instantly I had a vision of the endless rows of the foodbearing orchards of home my
friends chucklingwhen accidentally dropping the fruit they had pickedmumholdingawoven

basket to her side and scolding them baked crumble being shared out around the evening
dinnertableamongstlaughterandhappiness.
My daydream of bountiful crops, the land, the sun it began to extend from our
destinationandback towards us, following paths we were soon totravel. Iwasnt concerned
with havingtowalksofaritwasthepotentialforecosystems that populatedmymind,driven
bythesunandwater,whichwouldcontinuerunningevenwhenthemoonandstarshadcome
outatnight.Ifeltsmall,dwarfedbythese.
Being in the city, being around so many people for a while, it made mefeel that all that
was important was people peoples events, peoples problems, peoples achievements
Takingastepoutsideitthough
Thesheerrelativeenormousscaleoftheecosystemsreaching abouttheworldreentered
mymind.Iwassuchatinypartofitall.Thissmallnessrelaxedmeimmensely.
However,thatwasntitthatlonelyfeelingwasstillthere.
Idecidedtodisregarditfornow.
Iknowmyjourneyhadmademeintoadifferentperson. My dreams foreveryoneonEarth
to be good to the environment, and lead easier happier healthy lives... How arrogant. How I
hadwishedeveryonewouldbecomelikemycommune...
Our group hadbeensilentforawhileand,speakingtonobodyinparticular,Ifelttheneed
to connect with someone.As anecocommuneweretrying, butwe alsohaveourownflaws,
just asthecity did.Imean,thecityisnotafailedattemptatemulatingusbeingasnewage
and modern as us they had their own angry debates, their own beliefs and views of the
world...whatitmeanstobealive...dontyouthink?
Ha, well I... Ashoka began slowly.Thats a whole bunch of stuff there, Charini. I dont
know...
The confused response from him made me sheepishly realise that my head really was
justamuddleofthoughts,andnottheconsistentrevelationIhadthoughtittobe.
I heard Bodhi pipe up from behind. If some of us feel... confident enough... tostartfor...
something new... I looked over my shoulder to find Bodhi still partially deep in thought. It
doesnt take a long mesmerising walk for Bodhi to ponder like this.Knowing this about him
broughtasmiletomyface.
Not receiving much else of a response though, I myself returned to mulling and
reminiscing. Nomads are quite different to us too, like the old man Bodhi had said he saw
before we left home. Since ourcommune wastheonly form ofcivilizationclosesttotherocky
desert, they sought us out on the rare occasion, wheninneed.Ihadnopersonalrecollection
oftheman,butcontinueddaydreamingabouthimaswewalkedregardless.
I envisioned a group of six nomadic families crossing the rocky desert by foot. They
carried hardly any possessions about them at all. For a moment I imagined one of them
painstakingly dragging along the ginormous TV Id seen in the home of my new city friend,
andgiggledtomyself.
By evening the nomads had come to rest by a cracklingcampfireamongstatreedoasis.
Bodhis old man was there. I pictured him to be wearing a blackandwhite striped cloth,
draped from his head to hisshoulders,andhisoldskinwouldbeweatheredfromadrydesert
life. He was telling a story to earnestlylistening children. As the man finishedit with a smile,

he already had the children cackling from his punchline. Everyone in the campwas relaxed
andthelaughterwasinfectious.
Nomads, our commune, and the city folk. Considering how these different ways of life
bounced off each other almost made me want to grind my teeth. The need for them to be
working togetherinunisonfeltincrediblyimportant,yetthe taskcouldbeseenakintotryingto
jointogetheropposingpolesofmagnets.
If animals are forced to adapt, it's not like they first bother with a town meeting! When
faced with misfortune,do animals hold debates, start researchandthenhopethatsomebody
might act upon it? Do animals try and work out how they feel about it all first? With some
animals,aleaderemergesfastandtherestquicklyfollow.
Sowheredoesthatleaveus?
We each dreamt we could fight againstadversitybutwhenwemettherealworlditallgot
confused. I try to be a good person, dowhatmyheartfeelsisright,butthenIsometimesfind
myselfdoingtheopposite
So then how are we supposed to know what is right? I think... it's what Ican feel deep
down in my heart, and I continue to hope it is similar foreveryone...eveniftheyreasbadas
me...
Istoppedwalkingmidpace.
So I wasnt leavingthathollowlonelyspotaloneafterall. My heartfeltlikeitwaspleading
with everyone and noone something that was begging for resolution. Maybe it was
somethingIalsomisunderstood?
I...
Iheard theotherseventuallycometoastop and,despitemestaringattheground,Iknew
theydallturnedtofaceme.
Need a rest Charini? enquired Ashoka, him resting a hand upon my shoulder.These
packs are all heavy now, and a few minutes rest every now and then wont be a total
disaster.
A rest was not really what I had been thinking of, but it was immensely welcome
nonetheless. City folk arguing about people's future, thenomads seeking out help, and now
my tired shoulders. It was partially relieving that, as long as humans are socialanimals, with
theadversityofchangetheywillgroup,andwillneverneedtofaceanyrenewalalone.

___________________________
http://www.huxley.id.au/adaptation