Air Glory

I really wanted that i-pod.

         My sister and I were carelessly leaning up against a fencepost, anticipating the six o’clock drawing for an i-pod nano at the 2007 Lifest Christian Music Festival. I stared up at kids swinging through air on the “Air Glory”, a giant crane that harnessed in two riders at a time to free fall from high up, set up in the middle of a dusty horse arena. We listened to the screams of the fallers and the nervous giggles of those getting harnessed. It was an odd looking contraption that towered 100 feet above us, designed to give riders the thrill of a lifetime. As its metal beams reflected the glimmer of the setting sun onto my face, I had not a care in the world. But then a sudden scream filled the air, so potent that it grabbed the attention of everyone in the area. I waited for the harness to catch, for the girl to be swung back up into safety.

        But the rope never caught her.

        The terrifying thud left the entire arena silent. One second… two seconds… No one was moved. No one made a noise. I stood there in complete horror, my mouth gaping in disbelief. As the dust settled the crowd suddenly began to panic. Doctors quickly identified themselves and ran in to help, security ordered ambulances, and all I could do was stand there, numb.

        On that day, sixteen year old Elizabeth Mohl died, and I had to watch. I cried about it for days, not able to make sense of it. Why did this happen? How could someone so seemingly invincible be gone in an instant? That fall changed the way I view my life. It is not a burden, an obligation, or a responsibility, but rather it is a gift. I have been gifted with so many talents and opportunities. Every day I embrace what it means to be alive, and on those days where everything seems to be a chore, I remind myself how very fortunate I am to be living in this beautiful country, healthy and young. This experience has taught me to set goals and reach for my highest expectations, because I never know if today is going to be my last.

       Suddenly that i-pod didn’t seem all that important.

The Biggest Problem

           The citizens of today’s society should be extraordinary people. The genes we carry have been hand picked across thousands of years by natural selection, so that we have the traits of our most success ancestors. But what if success thousands of years ago and success today have completely different meanings? I do not think that there is one global issue that holds more importance than the rest, but I am proposing the idea that the instincts we’ve gained through evolution are actually the cause of the problems in our world today.    

            In ancient times, food was scarce and the individuals who were drawn to foods high in fat were the ones who survived food shortages and famine. Today some countries have an ample supply of food, but many people still carry genes that make them crave fatty foods. Instead of being a survival advantage, it is causing widespread obesity and health problems.

            It was also necessary for ancient people to form tight clans, to conform to the thinking of their group, and to be hostile towards opposing groups. Those who behaved in these ways were the most likely to survive, and we are now genetically inclined to think in similar ways. Adolescents are likely to conform for their friends and are influenced by popular media. Conflicting countries turn to war because it is a natural instinct to be violent against people outside of their clan. And some research even suggests that the ancient instinct to be threatened by people from other tribes has resulted in genes that spark racist thinking.  

            The bottom line is that humans have evolved to become very egocentric individuals, looking out for their own survival ahead of all others. But in today’s world, our problems are much more complicated than basic survival, and we need to start working together to solve them.  The biggest problem that faces us is debatable, but the solution to any problem will require a generation of individuals who are willing to fight their natural instincts, and put the needs of others before their own.