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"If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper," Thich Nhat Hanh once shared, indicating how rain from the clouds nurtured trees whose fibers composed that sheet of paper. As we walk through the world, every moment, every action, every word, every thought dominos into the next. Like a cascading waterfall, the borders of our lives spill into one another, converging, expanding, and flowing forward with time. In the process, small, unassuming gestures of goodwill become the glowing throughline of our human spirit. Looking at an image of our planet from afar, astrophysicist Carl Sagan famously wrote, "The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena ... To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known." This week's feature stories take a closer look at the profound possibilities that surface when hearts dance to the tune of our infinite interconnections.
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John Stanmeyer | National Geographic
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Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek is documenting the world on his global multi-year Out of Eden Walk. Since January 2013, the 59-year-old American has been walking from Africa along the ancient path of human migration, which started between 50,000 and 80,000 years ago. The trek will cover more than 38,000 kilometers (23,612 miles) in 36 countries, extending from Ethiopia to Argentina, passing through western Asia, the Silk Road, India, China, Siberia and the west coast of North and South America before terminating at Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. The journalist has currently covered 12,000 kilometers (7,456 miles) and is stuck in Myanmar due to a pandemic-induced border closure. Salopek says his journey is about story telling; he aims to gather knowledge in a slower way, at a more human pace, infusing his work with richer deeper insights into the landscapes and people he encounters.
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Denis Linine | Pexels
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In May of 2019 a photo of a human traffic jam snaking up Mount Everest went viral, showing the impact of over-tourism on the fragile area. That year the Swiss luxury brand Bally launched Bally Peak Outlook, an initiative to help preserve the world’s most extreme mountains and environments, in partnership with local Sherpas. The initiative is being led by Dawa Steven Sherpa, a Nepali climber, environmental activist and tourism entrepreneur based in Kathmandu, who has led expeditions to remove mountain garbage since 2008. Peak Outlook got started with litter removal in 2019 and continued their efforts in 2020. In September of 2020, Dawa and a team of 12 climbers set off to clean basecamps of four mountains, including Everest. The trip lasted 47 days, and Dawa’s expedition team removed 2.2 tons of rubbish, crossing four alpine glaciated passes to do it. “When we take garbage from the mountains, it must feel to the gods like taking a thorn out of their finger,” Dawa said.
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Vadim B | Pexels
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A cat in Turkey is melting hearts online for when she carried her newborn kitten to a hospital seeking medical help. In a 2-minute video shared by Gulf Today, the feline can be seen walking through the hospital in Izmir, in southern Turkey, as people step aside making way for her. The kitten was examined by doctors and nurses who discovered it was suffering FROM an eye infection and, after a consultation, a veterinary clinic came forward to treat the animal. According to Gulf Today, the cat had visited the hospital in the morning and was meowing for a long time, asking for help. Staff `member`s have been giving food and water to the cat, but weren't aware she had given birth until she brought the kitten into the hospital.
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The Dawg House via AP
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In the small town of Miami, Okla., with a population of 13,000 people, restaurants are helping to ease the challenges faced by those who have fallen on hard times during the pandemic. They have put up "receipt walls" that give diners the opportunity to pay for meals for those in need. Since the idea of prepaid meals took root several months ago, hundreds of meals have been provided to the growing number of homeless people. "It's the whole community behind it," Derrick Hayworth, whose food delivery company services local restaurants, told the Associated Press. "It wasn't forced. It was just meant to happen," he said.
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Teacher David Jamison has always welcomed his Grade 5 students to class with unique and personalized handshakes. Now, in the pandemic era, hands don't touch -- but the welcomes are still just as unique. In all, he has developed 250 unique welcomes. Asked why, he has a message for all students. "This is the generation that is going to change the world -- tap into that potential."
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