Earth Day, "Green" The Film, And My 5 Year Old's New Quest To Change The World
Last night we sat down with the kids, with the idea of finding "a nice family film" on Roku. We browsed through Netflix and couldn't find anything that we could all agree on, so we decided to check out Hulu. "Green" (a documentary) was showcased in the "most popular" section on the home screen and it immediately caught the attentions of our children. Unsure, I read the description and decided to chance it.
A few moments into the film we realized that this was a silent documentary; with a fairly deep (for young children) display of deforestation, resource exploitation, and it's subsequent impact on the wildlife that call these rain forests, home. The silence in this film spoke volumes. There was no real need for words or explanation, it was all very clear, even to our five year old. There were a few points where I considered stopping the movie, though I'm glad I didn't .... because what happened next, wouldn't have happened. As the film was ending, my daughter and son quickly realized that the obligatory "happy ending" that they have become so accustomed to, was not playing out in this instance. My son was certainly affected by the storyline however, my daughter was affected in a way that I've never personally witnessed, in a child soyoung.
She turned to me teary eyed and said "I'm going to change that mommy". She walked away from me and returned a few moments later with more than a few plans on how she was going to help. I honestly believe that she will too.
What I learned from this chance encounter with the film "Green" is that, sometimes inspiration and purpose finds us in the most unlikely places; those little moments in our daily lives when we least expect it.
I'm certainly more mindful of the fact that the things we use on a daily basis and every action we take is not without consequence; be it good or bad.
To learn more about "Green" and to watch/download the full length film (free of charge) visit: http://www.greenthefilm.com/
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to help my 5 year old change the world; she'll stand for nothing less!
Happy Earth Day, everyone.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
