Chapter 9 The World Will Be a Better Place
The sun streams through bare trees amidst a brilliant blue cloudless sky. Squirrels jump from branch to branch and then run, dart and hop on walkways and grass in what could only be interpreted as joy. Occasional strong breezes hiss through trees bringing a crisp freshness to the air.
It is one of those magical days in early March, when winter takes a break, and everything is uplifted with the prospect of spring. Those lucky enough to find a sunny spot protected from the wind are treated to a warmth still months away. Claudia is one of those fortunate individuals.
Reclining on a park bench, snug in her long sweater, Claudia purrs with delight. This she realizes, is exactly what she needs. Last night’s nightmarish reveries were sloughed away the moment the winter chill was cast from her body. Swathed in, and revitalized by the beauty of nature, she is optimistically determined to do whatever she can to save the planet.
Early in the morning she felt an inexorable urge to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. At this time of the year she found the zoo the perfect place to meditate and relax. The scant number of visitors allowed one to commune with the animals in an almost personal manner. Even though the day was surprisingly warm the traffic of visitors was still relatively low.
Inspired by a perfect day Claudia sighs deeply and begins humming an old tune, “And the world, will be a better place, for you, and me, you just wait and see. Put a little love in your heart”.
The day has been a perfect one. She has spent hours watching and talking to the animals. The aquatic animals, probably because they seem the most happy and content, are her favorite to watch. The sea otters and seals seem the happiest while the polar bears and penguins appear the most content.
Though she prefers drawing monkeys and apes, they are too active today to be good subjects. The felines have been exquisite subjects this morning. One particular tigress appears to be aware she is being drawn. She patiently sits frozen in a most photogenically regal pose, finally moving only moments after Claudia closes her sketch pad.
Stretching like the felines she had sketched Claudia smiles as she internally sings again, “Put a little love in your heart”. She smiles remembering how innocently singing that song one morning a few years ago turned into a national craze.
Claudia was singing that song in the kitchen when Austin appeared after taking his morning shower. After he gave her a kiss, she playfully sang the refrain in his ear. Austin backed away and said, “that’s perfect”. Within moments Austin was on the phone suggesting it be the Republican presidential campaign song. As it turned out Austin had been asked to help a little with the campaign.
Claudia smiles even broader remembering the thrill she felt when she heard that song being played at the Republican convention. At that moment she fully appreciated how rewarding it must be for Austin to see his handiwork anonymously displayed daily in the popular culture.
What Claudia found even more amusing was that the candidate lost the election, and neither Austin nor her voted for him. This was odd for her, but when she mentioned it to Austin he said he bore no special allegiance to companies who have used his ideas. He said his personal, political, purchasing and moral decisions had little to do with his business involvements. Yet, he quickly pointed out, in many cases like this past election he actually worked for both the Republicans and Democrats.
She remembers asking, “Aren’t there any companies and organizations you’d refuse to work for?”
“My success does allow me to pick and choose what projects I work on,” Austin said with a hint of pride. “I can’t improve a situation I’m not part of, so nothing is gained by my avoiding working with someone because of their past practices. In fact, the more harmful or disgusting they have been, the more I perceive them to be in need of my services. Therefore, my work selections aren’t so much based on who they are or how they have behaved in the past, but more on how they will use my input.”
Claudia remembers often being surprised and impressed with Austin’s ability to find agreeable solutions to almost any situation. The fact that she came to the zoo today, she has to admit to herself, was directly the result of Austin’s practical attitude towards conflicts.
Though Claudia relished any opportunity to see wild animals, one day she decided to stop going to the zoo. When Austin asked her why she hadn’t wanted to go to the zoo she explained she felt sorry for the animals, and didn’t want to support their being closed up in some kind of animal prison.
While Austin admitted many of the animals looked bored, unhappy and were highly neurotic, he pointed out how much zoos had improved over the years. Improvements, he pointed out, would only continue if the zoos had sufficient economic resources. Boycotting a zoo would do nothing for the animals. Yet, patronizing the zoo and increasing their popularity would allow zoos to improve the living conditions and quality of life of the animals.
Later that same week Claudia made a sizable donation to the zoo. Austin, as a present to Claudia, often coaxed clients to make substantial monetary gifts to zoos throughout the country. Though nothing earth shattering has happened, Claudia admits seeing improvements over the last few years.
Claudia decides to get up from her little nesting place on the bench and begin walking. Standing next to the railing overlooking the lions, she feels it a good metaphor for her current estrangement from Austin. She is separated from the majestic awe inspiring lion by a gorge. The gorge separating her and Austin had a lot to do with her thoughts of last night.
A few days after Austin presented his ideas regarding the relationship between profit and waste he approached Claudia regarding her apparent sadness. She admitted she found their recent conversation very distressing and asked how he could harbor such thoughts and be so optimistic. When he asked which thoughts in particular were causing her such discomfort, Claudia responded, “Your acceptance that we’re going to destroy the environment”.
“I don’t believe I said that,” Austin mumbled softly.
“Well, it just seems the natural conclusion to your argument is that pollution and waste are necessary by-products of making money.”
Austin explained his point was only that the recycling industry was not going to save the environment, not that the environment was doomed. He did admit even though he liked the world as it is, he didn’t view saving the environment as a major priority.
“Almost every generation of man,” Austin proclaimed,”has complained about the bad practices of their contemporaries. Longing for a return to the idealized good life of the past, each generation warns the end is near, and all will be justly punished for their fall from grace.”
“It seems odd to me,” continued Austin, “that despite all this bewailing, our lives are going pretty well. At no time in history have people lived longer, healthier lives.”
“Yes,” objected Claudia, “but, progress has not been a straight line. The quality of people’s lives has deteriorated as often as it has improved.”
“I don’t argue that,” Austin said smiling, “but, you’d have to concede that each move forward has benefitted a larger number of people in more substantial ways.”
Claudia, though unsure of this point, made no objection. Austin continued, “Man appears to suffer from a strong fear of the future. It is this fear which impedes, guides and often corrupts progress. It is this fear which motivates men to hoard wealth and privileges and to view others as an obstacle to be defeated….What I guess I’m trying to say, is we always overestimate the glories of the past and underestimate the potential of the future.”
“But,” Claudia implored, “won’t you miss the blue skies and the clean water?”
“Sure I’d miss them if they were gone, but just because I miss something doesn’t mean it should continue. Heck, I miss the innocence and simplicity of the relationship I had with my first girlfriend in eighth grade. Yet, if I held on to that I would never have found you, or experienced the beauty of adult relationships. The future moves on, and with a combination of trust and intelligence the future always carries the potential of increased happiness and fulfillment.”
“Something is lost for every gain we make in life,” declared Austin. “If we were to alter the environment to the point where we all had to walk around in space suits, whose to say it’s necessarily a bad thing? Maybe, we could experience the world more intensely through virtual reality. Perhaps, our thoughts will evolve to the point of providing more intimate and fulfilling sensation than our senses ever could. Perhaps, we will move to another planet and be able to sustain the progress we’ve attained while no longer destroying the environment.”
“But, maybe,” maintained Claudia, “we’ll just become empty and isolated, and regret our greed and stupidity.”
“Yes,” Austin acknowledged, “the future has no guarantees. Yet, I choose to trust the future and do my best to make the world a better place. But, that better place might be quite different from our present world.”
On a day like today, Claudia is almost ready to accept Austin’s optimism regarding the future. She has to admit that in the long run her life has always gone for the better, and it does seem to be human nature to fear, mistrust and resist the future. Claudia remembers how she fought her parents when they wanted to move. She complained about everything the first two weeks in the new house, and yet she became very happy there, after a few months. In fact, when she looks back on her life, she now views that move as one of the most positive events.
Maybe Austin is right. Maybe she, like most others, lack a basic trust in life. A trust which leaves Austin calmer, more confident and successful than the rest of us. Perhaps leaving Austin was no different than the tantrum she had out in front of the new farm her parents had purchased those many years ago. Perhaps, the problem is that in some ways she hadn’t grown up at all.