Writing for the environment

I have been wondering if I made the right decision, going for environmental science instead of marine biology. Old friends I run into on the street all ask how it's going over at the Marine Science Institute. For a heartbeat, I feel my chest caving in. Then I tell them I'm actually in environmental science. It wouldn't be so bad if only a few people have inquired after my supposed career in marine science, but even people I hardly knew in high school are under the impression I'm swimming with the dolphins. I've had to make the correction so many times, I now say environmental science with a sheepish laugh. That is not how I want to talk about my job.

I need to re-assess where I am. I find myself more interested in the material I have had to read for marine mammal conservation. On the other hand, I can barely wrap my head around climate change. Turns out it's not my cup of tea after all. I belong in the ocean (yes, swimming with the dolphins). A lot of the things I want to do in the future will require me to be in the water. Sure, I'll still get to do those things as an environmental scientist, but I'll get to do them all the time if I was a marine biologist like I originally planned. I know what I said in that blog entry about career change, and I'm beginning to feel like a cheating lover. I should have just stuck to my guns. I wouldn't be abandoning environmental science; I would just be choosing to be more specific about the environment I want to work in. Decisions will have to be made soon while it's early and I'm not raking in all those ES units yet.

Anyway, here is something we can all do regardless of the career path we have chosen. The environment concerns everyone, and Blog Action Day is providing an opportunity for us to give it the attention it deserves.

On October 15th, more than six million blogs will write about one topic: the environment. The writing project is a good way to get people to think carefully about how current natural and anthropogenic trends are affecting the earth. How are these changes influencing the future of the planet? The sheer number of participating blogs will yield a spectrum of views about these issues. It should be interesting to see how that pans out.

You can blog about the environment in your signature style or step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Check out their official site and get your blog registered. Let's write to save the environment.

Zen for breakfast

6AM You wake up. Your internal clock works like a charm. You look up and see sunlight filtering through the glass into your semi-dark room. Your eyes are still adjusting to daylight and your body refuses to get up. Under the sheets, it is warm and safe. You don't want to leave. You pull the blankets up tighter under your chin and turn, finding an even more comfy position. You think, "15 minutes more." It is blessedly easy to doze off again.

6:15AM Reality is more palpable. You need to get up for work. For months now, you have been wondering if you can still keep up the charade that is your job. You have been thinking of resigning. You fear that your 8-5 desk job has made you bereft of all creativity and depth.

6:30AM You are still in bed, and beginning to hate yourself for it. You should have gotten up at 6. In your head, there is a battle: Is this the day I finally leave my job? What will I do with all my free time? I can't take this job anymore, it's time to move on. Where will I get the money to pay for the electricity? You bury your face in your pillow and mull over these nagging thoughts.

6:45AM Shit. Now, you really have to get up. You drag your heavy body out of bed. It feels like you've aged ten years since you woke up. You heat water for your bath and put together the stuff you'll bring to work. Your thought battle is nearing its end. A resolution is in sight. You think of the day ahead, wondering if it will pass painlessly. You imagine what you will do to make the hours more bearable.

7:10AM You are nearly ready. You can hear cars and jeepneys zooming by your house. The rest of the world has woken up with you, ready to take on the day. You look in the mirror and take a deep calming breath. Your mind is preparing itself, because it knows that preparation is the key to anything. You spray on some perfume, because you want to smell good even if you're miserable. This job is killing you.

7:20AM But you have to be realistic. You walk out the door and stand in the street, noticing a clump of students a little way down also waiting for a ride. You feel a slight pang in your chest, wishing you were still in school. You shake it off. You hail the first jeep that passes and it is not full. You are beginning to accept how you will spend the day. You seat yourself close to the door and look ahead.

7:50AM The moment of clarity. You walk into the office. The long jeepney ride has cleared your head. Or was it the fresh air? You have decided to remain hopeful about your job. The slump in your shoulders is beginning to vanish. The work day ahead no longer feels insurmountable. You remember that you will eventually find a way out of this monotony, but for now, you will have to suck it up. You go to your table. You see the work you left unfinished the day before. You sigh. It is not resignation. It is simply the realization that all this is temporary: you are relieved.

For the rest of the day, you pour yourself into work. You do not worry about the future or that fact that this job may be sucking your soul out. You know that your soul does not belong to this boring eight-to-five. It is alright. You have freed your mind of the unpleasant thoughts plaguing you earlier. In fact, your mind has become cleared of any worries and distractions. You exist only in the present. You focus on the tasks before you, and actually perform excellently. You have achieved inner peace.