Self Interview — The Environment
October 15, 2007 by J.C. Hewitt
Today is blog action day. I didn’t know this until about two hours ago, so I didn’t have anything prepared. The blog action day topic is the environment. In looking for a way to tie this into my very different topic, writing, I decided to conduct a self-interview. The self interview is a technique for generating ideas and fleshing out your thoughts about a topic. You simply ask yourself questions and then answer them.
The reason this technique is useful is that it taps into a different process than the one you would use to write an article or an essay. Answering questions is a conversational process rather than an organizational process. It is also more focused, giving you specific small tasks rather than a large general task. You don’t have to start out with a series of questions in mind. In many cases, the answers to one question lead naturally to more questions. This keeps the process moving.
The benefits of self interviews are that they can give you a better idea of what your opinions are about an issue or event. They also provide material for further writing and point out areas in which you might want to do some more research. Below is my self-interview on the topic of environmentalism. I’m not sure if this is what they had in mind for their project, but they are my thoughts on the subject.
Would you consider yourself an environmentalist?
No. Far from it. I rarely go out of my way to help the environment. I’ll pick up trash if it is mine, but I don’t go around picking up other people’s trash. I don’t contribute money to environmental causes. My car is far from fuel efficient. I buy paper plates and plastic cutlery. As a writer, I even tend to produce more paper waste than most people, so the trees probably hate me.
Since you’re not an environmentalist, should anybody really care about your opinions on the environment?
Absolutely. If the environmentalists really want change, they are going to have to listen to the average person out there who is not committed to their cause. If you think you can just inundate us with your beliefs and solve the problem, you are wrong. Conversations have to work both ways. If you aren’t willing to listen, don’t expect others to listen to you.
So you want an argument with the environmentalists?
Not at all. I’m not opposed to environmental causes. I just don’t go out of my way to support them and I doubt I ever will. I have too many other priorities in my life. The environmentalists, if they want my support, will have to support my needs.
How can the environmentalists support your needs?
The main thing I desire, when someone wants me to do something, is that they make it as easy as possible for me to do it. If you want me to recycle, make sure the option is always available. Put recycling cans everywhere. I’ll be happy to use them if they are readily available.
My apartment complex doesn’t have recycling bins, and recycling isn’t important enough to me to drive somewhere else just to throw my stuff away, so I don’t recycle. If it was easy. I would. I think this holds true for most people. If given an option between two equally easy tasks, they will choose the one that does the most good. If one is hard and the other is easy though, don’t expect the majority of people to make the hard choice. Even if that is what you think they should do.
Are you worried about global warming?
No, not really. I feel as if there are plenty of places on earth that are too cold to live in, but very few that are too hot. I understand that a shift in weather patterns can have serious consequences, but there are plenty of other environmental problems that worry me more than global warming. The pollution of our water supply is a much greater concern to me than global warming. The storage and containment of radioactive waste is a much more important issue too. The draining of our oil resources is also troubling to me. Overall, I consider global warming, which I do believe is happening, to be a fairly minor concern.
John: The Blog Action day website says:
“Posts do not need to have any specific agenda, they simply need to relate to the larger issue in whatever way suits the blogger and readership. Our aim is not to promote one particular viewpoint, only to push the issue to the table for discussion.”
So I think you did it right! Cos there warn’t no wrong; the idea was just to do it.
The self-interview was an interesting technique with all sorts of potential.
John,
I agree with you 90%, the global warming though. I don’t really believe it, I heard the news express there opinions about it, they said that within a hundred years or so that the ice caps will start melting, if there deeply concern is so important and people are SOOOO worried about it, and it’s as bad as they say. Then if my calculations are right the world will be flooded within five years.
No affense to anyone, but I think global warming is a load of huweeey. But that’s just me. I am a firm believer of God and I feel as though God will protect us. After all In the Bible, if I may quote, says that the rainbow was set for a promise that God will never flood the world again. Yeah, many people may have scientific reasons why the rainbow may occur, but I have faith and I for one believe God. Also scientist are finally believing in God because of everything they found. Such as the Ark, Jesus’ Robe he was wrapped in when he was brutally killed, (I have some question about that though) and foot prints that were known to be around the prehistoric age. (The first Earth age) I don’t believe much in men (men and women) when it comes to telling me my fate. I believe in putting my fate into the one who made me (God) Though somethings you can be in the wronge place at the wronge time. Thanks
Hi Rianon,
If you believe that God made the Earth for us to live on, don’t you think he would prefer that we take care of it rather than wait for him to clean up the mess? I know my mother never liked it when I left her house a mess. I figure God would be of the same opinion.
Yes, I do my part and help out everytime I can. If I see something on the ground I normally pick it up. You said that don’t expect the majority of the people to go out of there way to clean up even if that’s what you think they should do. I agree with that, but I’m not the majority. Yes you are right. I recycle and seperate the paper from cans. I hate using plastic and if I do I get as much use out of it as I can. I pretty much eat, drink and sleep organicaly. As for medications, I usually go the organic route, I take vitamins and meditate constantly. I even drink organic coffee, I try to eat fruits, vegitables and anything that doesn’t have any preservatives in it. I am a constant cleaner, I clean everything, but I guess that’s my OCD that really gets me. I even clean the cleaners. I room is spotless, and so is my house, well if my dad doesn’t get too it. He leaves things laying around and I normally clean up after him. But i’m not complaining because I love to clean and streighten things up. My mom never has to worry about the house being clean because I clean everyday.
If we label God, we place limitations upon the omnipentent. I am hard pressed to believe anything that portends to understand the methods of the creator. But let me pose a question, as we go through seasons on earth, does the universe also have its seasons, and if so, I wonder which season we are in. And another one, to think of a time when the biblical stories were actually handed down by word of mouth, when human people remembered, and told stories.
“Tangled Wood”
When the earth gave you up you breathed the same air as the
Ancients
And the ignition of your spirit charged your body with life
Da Vinci painted you seated by Jesus, your innocent curls
Swirling around your face, for you were special and
The one He loved
It was the last supper, and you were described to he who
Painted it when men still by word of mouth
Remembered how it was and passed on the words
With simple vision
Those days have passed, and the scriptures stand revised by
Mere mortal men into standard versions, for we have
Given up our thirst for thought and truth
You live in that work precious as the spring morning that
Brought you forth in love, and in the heart that wonders
Why, as the One who searched and found a greater love
Than destiny had forged
Perhaps, we are star people, seeded from the universe, carried to earth and planted in it, amoebic, like a giant spermatazoa penitrating an egg.
That’s why we are different from the natural inhabitants of the animal kingdom, but we are still charged with the maintenance and upkeep of the planet, not to be part of the problem.
Connie:
Exactly,
We are not suppose to be part of the problem, we are suppose to be part of the sollution.
Connie,
Yes, there are earth ages, there are three of them we are in the second earth age.
By word of mouth, yes it was but only for so long, the true stories can from Jesus himself and God spoke through many people. The scriptures were merly writen upon a piece of parchment. (animal skin)
Also I would like to explain the earth ages if you will let me!
Connie,
It is impossible NOT to label God. Any attempt to describe or define something is a label. The Bible is a label; it sets definitions for who God is and what God wants. If we do not label, we cannot understand at all. If we cannot understand God at all, there is no point in trying to have a relationship with God. To believe that God is good is to label God. To believe that God listens to our prayers is to label God. To believe that God cares about us is to label God. To believe that God even exists is to label God. We cannot, as humans, have any concept of something without labels and to believe in something we cannot understand or define at all is to believe in nothing.
John,
That is exactly right, it is impossible to not label God and who he is. We label him as our creator, and he is. CORRECT!!!
Yes, on the fact that we label, we are in agreement.
Speaking of God… (almost on topic)
Knowing God
Oh what is man that he might cast his puny brain
around the grandeur of the True and Living God?
Or can the mind that feels the limits of both birth
and death begin to know the endlessness of God?
No. The simple faith of those who pray to God above
belie this fact: eternity can not be bound.
And yet the holy writ proclaims to all that man
is nothing but the offspring of the living God.
That man has traces of devine within his soul
and given time can grow to know the God above.
How long before this todd’ling child will undrestand
the loving God above, who often slaps his hand?
John,
Yes
James,
I like this poem, it’s wonderfully explained on how you feel about this subject. You really bursted your feelings out about how faith sticks with our young ones.
(”How long before this todd’ling child will undrestand
the loving God above, who often slaps his hand?”)
Although faith gets confusing at times it’s good to stick to your beliefs no matter what they are. Whatever your beliefs are, I feel as though it defines you. Know matter what you believe whether it’s about your enviroment or faith sticking with what ever it is shows that your willing to stick with it know matter how hard it gets.
John, Connie, James:
your all beautiful people and you show it because of your willing to share your beliefs know matter how many people will dissagree with you. Your willing to show your colors. That took me years to figure out.
Rianon,
(”How long before this todd’ling child will undrestand
the loving God above, who often slaps his hand?”)
Who is the child?
Are we not all children? (if only at heart?)
How long will it take for each of us come to know God?
We each strive, according to our own desires and beliefs,
and the understanding thus gained defines our individual paths.
May we each aide each other in our common yet separate quest to know God, and may we each be tollerant of all those around us embarking on the quest.
James,
I never thought about it that way, I guess I’m wrong sometimes. Maybe we all need to keep open to learn off of each other instead of being so tightly closed that we never let anyone in. What you said, that made me a little light headed. Your so right!!! Thank you
About asking questions to yourself, I think that that’s a wonderful way of no only getting to know yourself but it’s great for poetry writing as well.
John,
Great posting!!!
Self Query?
Self Inquisition?
Self Interview?
So we return full topic.
Sorry if I started something that know one wanted to talk about. Or wanted to get into, I sometimes get into other topics with the original one in mind.
sorry.
This post is so incredibly ignorant that I am taking this feed off my google page. Human beings are such fools.
Hi John,
Sorry you were upset. No argument on the Human beings are fools statement. As for taking me off your reader, thats certainly your right. Good luck.
Well, John (Hewitt, obviously, not the nuf-nuf above), I thought your approach was interesting and only “incredibly ignorant” people who disagree with you would get mad about it. Intelligent people who disagree with you would recognise the value in having you express your position (and that of many others, I’m sure) so clearly and constructively.
The “why I don’t” is just as important as the “why I do”, if not more so. What’s the point of preaching to the converted? I read your post as a positive post, and I’m sure that’s the way it was intended. Anyone who doesn’t see it that way is obviously more interested in self-congratulatory moralising than trying to help the environment.
Thank you for the support mum. I am far from an environmental expert, and I know that. As a former PR writer and lobbyist, however, I know a little something about selling a cause, and environmentalists are remarkably bad at selling their causes. Their rhetoric tends to put people off, which has made it very easy for big business to fight them rather than work with them.
John,
I respect your opinion, but I take to offence that you think that this is ignorant. I feel as though you could of said the same thing but a little more suddle.
Cerebralmum,
I agree with you
John Hewitt,
I also agree with you, but I really don’t think that anyone is truly an enviromental expert. And those who say they are can get so stuck on what they believe that they don’t have any room to learn so they tend to state a fact rather than state a belief. Your a wonderful person Hewitt.
Everyone,
Respect………..
John: Hmmm, I can’t explain my husband, but I still have a relationship with him. Can you explain your wife?? You obviously have a relationship with her. I think there are a lot of things we can’t explain that we interact with, and isn’t interacting a relationship? I can’t explain “God,” but I think I have a relationship with something.
Hi Connie, I am assuming this is in relation to our “labels” discussion…
Do I know everything there is to know about my wife, not at all. Can I “explain” her, of course I can. I can tell you here size, her shape, her hair color, her eye color, her job, her favorite television shows, what foods she likes and doesn’t like, how she gets up in the morning, her relationships with her family, her relationships with my family, her political affiliation, her driving habits, her laugh, her voice and million other details. Every single trait I attribute to her would be a label. So I can easily label my wife. Not a problem at all.
John: To me that would be a description, but that’s just me. I can’t describe anything about God like that. I don’t know how God works with anybody else. I can’t describe a single thing about God that anyone else would agree with. I often wonder if that makes me Godless, or wrong; however if I just keep my mouth shut, then there is no one to criticize me or tell me I am wrong.
For example — when I was taking care of my mom, I used to take her to coffee at a local restaurant every afternoon. Politics and religion were forbidden among these ladies conversations. One day however, one of my mom’s best friends got to picking at me and wanted to know what I thought God was, come on tell me, she picked and picked, and finally I said, well, I think God probably has femine aspects as well as male. She flew off in a rage and shouted at me “Jesus was not a girl.” I tried to explain to her that’s not what I had in mind, it was useless.
as I said later on a post, religion is a favorite topic of mine. But is also so very fraigile and emotional issue. These answers are probably the most important ones most people ever ask.
Connie,
It appears semantics are the root cause of our problem. Our central points are not at odds, merely our definition of terms.
Connie,
I agree with you when you said:
“I think God probably has femine aspects as well as male.”
I agree with you, know matter what you say there is not one person who knows exactly who God is, so if they think that they have the right to pick and pick and pick, you should ask them, “Ok then you tell me what you think.”
No one person is more of an expert than another. John is right, “it is merely our definition of terms.” You have every right to think what ever you want. Also, religion is unfortunatly a sensitive subject these days. That unfortunatly being the case people are afraid to express how they really feel. Being so, people nit-pick and mock others only because they have no idea who God is either and they. So that being said, you shouldn’t feel so fraigile and emotional, (although you can’t help it, me either) but always say what is on your mind. If no, it just bottles up and you start to feel awful about it. Try to ignore people like that, it took me forever to learn how to but I succeeded. All I say now when they ask me who I think God is I say “God is our creator” and I stick with that.
One Last Poem
ME without YOU
Standing in the dark
The light slowly comes on
I look in the mirror
I want to paint my face
And pretend that I’m someone else
Sometimes I get so fed up
I can’t even look at myself
I wish I could start over
I wish you would take a walk in my shoes
You wouldn’t make a mile
You wouldn’t make a foot
You can’t even tie them up
I’m not complaining
So shut your mouth
Just listen
I’m not strong enough to deal with it
I’m slowly falling apart
Piece by piece
But first frozen
No feelings
Hurt and numb
Your first
I’m last
I sit and smoke my cigarettes
I think I might like this empty life
This hole of never ending sorrow
This giving but never receiving
Would you miss me?
If you decided to leave?
To never come back, not even a picture
A blinded life of misery
A dirt road
I don’t want to fall asleep
I don’t want to dream of what could be
I don’t want you in my dreams
I will do just fine…I think
Dusty tears
Forever darkness,
This seems like the right thing to do
Can you possibly know about breaking down?
Can you see through my scars?
Do you understand?
You’ve never tried to
You really don’t know, why
You’ve said it’s not the same
Sorry, I can’t explain
If being miserable keeps you close
This is what I will have to be
I’m disgusting
I hate the way you’re looking at me
I’m sorry I’m not perfect
I wish I were
Then would you still leave?
I wake up shaking
Is this my life?
My life without you
(This poem isn’t just about someone, it’s about the emptiness people feel, they’re missing piece. Whether it is who you are,
or what people want you to be. Being a smudge on paper isn’t fun, but being a smudge with color shows that you have potential. It shows people that your beautiful no matter what they want to believe.)
Ah yes, Semantics, S.I. Hayakaiwa — those three adorable bubbles, wish I could draw them on here, all linked in the center with commanility, yet each one sharing a singular connection with each other independent of the other two.