What kind of people are needed now?

Photo by Jeremy Thomas

We are living in historic times.

A lot is at risk.

The leaders of the world are gathering in Egypt for COP27. Before them is this astonishing thing, they have to grasp this one idea — our global temperature cannot rise by more than 1.5 degrees celsius in the next decade. There will be 1.2 billion climate refugees in the year 2050 if we don’t make significant changes.

Permacrisis. The word of the year.

The recession. Poverty. Child hunger. How has this happened? Interest rates hitting us like a slap in the back of the head. Our consistent problems that are yet to be solved, racism, sexism, all the isms…

What kind of people are needed now?

Hollywood would tell us we need Marvel’s Avengers. Superheroes with every strength, a well balanced assortment of powers to battle against the darkness…..

Sorry to say it — and if you didn’t already know it — those Avengers are never going to arrive.

I’m also sorry to say — all we’ve got are some shmucks who think they are superheroes.

Elon Musk ain’t no Tony Stark, he’s not going to save us.

Zuckerberg is leading us to a distinct and certain extinction of our humanity, in the unique way that only he can.

Bezos is planning his escape (into Space) with his buddies.

Politicians, well, only if they do their job and listen, instead of signing up for the next series of I’m a Celebrity, evading their taxes, or threatening each other for not being invited to the Queen’s funeral.

I’m sorry to say as well, that if the last 100 years or more, has shown us anything, it’s that the leaders of this world will not shape the future the way we need it. Whether it is the planet, the Metaverse (my usual topic of conversation), or the _______, (fill in the blank) — you name it — it won’t be solved by any of the billionaires, the millionaires or even those parading as elected leaders, and certainly not those born into position.

It’s you.

You are what’s needed.

You. Who is busy working, struggling. You. Who is challenged, flawed, fragile and weak.

I know it’s a lot. Probably feels like too much right now.

Do what you can…..

The world needs you.