People in the know used to talk about global warming in terms of centuries, perhaps 1/2 centuries. As rates of ice melt accelerate, measurement of climate change compresses. The East Coast’s superstorm Sandy focused the global warming time frame into a single election cycle.

Before I became a parent, presidential terms seemed like long time spans to me. Children teach you to measure time in new pairs of shoes, outgrown jackets, and trips from one grade to the next. Four years is nothing to a parent, I can fit four years into a few boxes. Sandy taught us that we can now fit significant climate change milestones into four years as well.

Wild Thing

How often will we hear the term “superstorm” between now and the next presidential election? I suspect at least a few times, along with droughts, extreem hurricanes etc, etc. Whoever wins the presidency tomorrow will likely preside over an extraordinary change in awareness, possibly even the greatest change in our national infrastructure since industrialization.

My son will grow up in a world where every year of his life will be increasingly impacted by climate change. He will measure climate change in seasons, months, days, moments. He will be part of a generation that cannot ignore Mother Nature. He will have to become her ally, if he is to survive and thrive.

I can’t prepare him for all the individual challenges that await him, today I feel that the greatest gift I can give him is a healthy respect for his wildness. His creature-ness will convey to him the flexibility and vitality he’ll need to respond to a world in which storms like Sandy may one day be considered commonplace. The freedom to respond to life authentically, without shame, cherishing the joy of living will be his greatest asset.

I’m not going to tell anyone who to vote for, whoever wins will need all the support he can get. Its too late to stop radical changes caused by global warming, its time to start preparing for this new world we’re creating. Good luck Mr. President, you’re going to need a lot of it.

I do hope you’ll vote with a Pagan heart, vote to protect the wildness of all creatures, including yourself. The wild children of the world will lead the way through the storms that await us all. Blessings to you and yours during this time of great change.