Like you, I receive well meant, ready made and copy-and-pasted banners with New Year’s well wishes. From friends or from people that find you once a year, on the 31st of Dec. Platitudes like Health, Prosperity, Happiness, Peace, Luck, Love and so on. One word is often missing: RESPECT.

Respect, even for people you don’t like, our planet and our environment. Only my life long Catalan friend’s new Year’s postcard contained this word, maybe that’s what he wishes from the Spanish King and the president. But my dearest friend S.., sharing a FB post about us polluting our oceans with needless plastic packaging, triggered my mind and my typing finger.

Yes, I watched the Blue Planet documentaries how plastic bags kill fish and trap birds. That the amount of plastic particles in our seas is the larger than any natural component in the oceans. Us failing to show respect for Mother Earth and its seas.

The other day I wrote a column about an interview with historian Philip Blom who warned that we are racing into a black wall and don’t know how to stop. It was our generation that started the plastic society, driving our world into a disaster.

I know, living a live considering the survival of the planet is hard work. I try to free my shopping from insane packaging at the till of the supermarket, but God knows if they really recycle the stuff.

I bring my own own bags or re-use bags for my garbage. Shop as much as I can in small shops, still having to tell the greengrocer off when he grabs a plastic bag to pack my fruit and vegs. Are we really prepared to return to the age of paper bags (although the paper industry kills vital trees) and force the supermarkets only to sell unpacked veggies, sugar (unhealthy anyhow), bread or any food that comes in plastic. Are we willing to pay the price for biological food, sold in small shops, take our lunches on board of cars, trains and especially on boats in paper bags or boxes.

Living a simple and slower life is the key. I watched a video about four Galician fishermen on a small boat going out to sea for 48 hours. Coming back with a 1400 € catch having to pay fuel, commission to the fish auctioneer and feed 4 families. They hand sort the fish and prawns ready to be sold to restaurants and fish mongers. Unwrapped on ice, The only plastic they use are the re-usable crates for transport. They still were happy with their lives, cooked their yummy onboard lunch from leftovers. The 4 hardworking men were very good friends and their hard jobs makes them realise the importance of the sea, living a life showing respect for natural resources. There are many examples of people living in remote parts of our world without plastic or other men-made materials that destroy our world.

And how about another form of Respect. Can we show respect to people we dislike; irresponsible politicians, dictators, self centred celebrities or horrid neighbours. I for example don’t like the Turkeys undemocratic ruler Erdogan but felt uneasy to see a cartoon about him having sex with a fish. I will not show the cartoon cause my sense of humour has boundaries.

I think that the cartoon is disrespectful to the lovely genuine Turkeys people among us, that maybe have relatives at home having no chance to keep the man out of power as elections are fraudulent. But also tasteless Trump jokes or even Hitler salutes; do we disrespect the Americans that voted for Donald to avoid corrupt Hilary ruling the Stars and Stipes or how do we feel about new German generations that had nothing to do with the 3rd Reich but still feel guilty about what their Great parents did or did not?

One thing is for sure, RESPECT starts with ourself, looking in the mirror and asking: “what am I preparing to do to change my attitude to make a mend with the planet and its inhabitants”.

Happy Whatsoever. Theo R.