Lives Matter

By Rachel Rivera

You might be wondering, “Why did Rachel choose that title?” Well, it isn’t about what you are probably thinking. 

To me, all life matters, not just human lives but all lives. We are animals, and I think it is time we take a step back and let that sink in. I have heard way too many people deny their connection to the animal kingdom despite us all being a part of it. 

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

One of my earlier memories is when a preschool friend of mine stepped on a caterpillar.

For some reason, my memory is wonky, and instead of remembering it from my own point of view, standing and watching my friend step on the bug, I see it from the ground’s point of view.

I watch as this large foot comes down over the green caterpillar and squishes it. The caterpillar and foot are largely out of proportion, like a special camera angle used in movies to make things appear bigger when they’re focusing on a character like an ant or someone who was shrunken to a miniature size.  Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash 

Strangely enough, this has always been how I saw this event happen. Even when I was little, the time it actually happened, I told my parents about it from that point of view. I always described it as watching from the caterpillar’s view as it met its demise, but as I think back, since I could see the caterpillar, it really was from the tar’s perspective, like my eyes had melded into the tar under the bug. 

I was devastated as a child, as I have always had the view that even the smallest lives need to be seen as important because all lives are important, not just human lives but other beings as well.

That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t eat meat. In looking at our teeth, we are designed to eat a mixture of meat and fruits and vegetables. We have sharper canines that prove this, as well as a digestive system designed to digest meat. Does that mean you cannot be vegetgarian or vegan? No, it just means that humans are technically omnivores, not herbivores or carnivores.

But we should still see each being as important and a part of the world, not just seeing them as if they were placed here for humans. We should value their lives, and care for them.

We shouldn’t just take a life for the fun of it. 

Mosquitos and ticks…

Well, I don’t really like those, nor do most people–and probably most other beings, for that matter– but they are vital for the earth’s ecosystems, and they are a major food source for a lot of creatures. 

Do I kill them when they are buzzing around me and biting me? Yes.

Do I kill ticks when I find them on my dogs or me? Yes. 

Does that mean I do not see their value? No. 

We have to look at the bigger picture.

Protecting myself and my dogs is important to my survival, just as sucking my blood is important to their survival.

Bugs are just as important on the earth as trees, as whales, as seaweed, as spiders, as humans. 

This is one of the messages I am working on conveying in my thesis novel, and is also is a    recurring theme in most of my writing.                      

Photo by Vinit Srivastava on Unsplash

As the BBC article states, the earth would be more than fine without humanity, but humanity would not be so well off if the bugs and trees and seaweed and whales disappeared. 

So, take a pause before you step on an ant hill, squish a caterpillar, or spray toxic chemicals in your home or yard. Think about the bigger picture.

I look forward to sharing my thesis novel and more about my writing process in the near future!

As always, if you liked what you read, please don’t forget to subscribe, share, and ‘like’ this blog post. 

Best,

Rachel