by Dr. Michael Pritsker, DC
As a chiropractor in San Diego, this story is very inspiring to many. It holds the seeds of accomplishment in any aspect of your life you desire. All you have to do is plant them. Thirty years back, in the country of Kenya, 90% of the forest had been chopped down. Without trees to hold the topsoil in its place, the terrain became like a wasteland. When the women and girls would go in hunt of firewood in order to prepare the meals, they would have to use hours and hours searching for what few branches remained.
In this story we will rename the woman to be named Nicole. Nicole watched all of this happening. She decided that there must be a way to take better care of the land and take better care of the women and girls. So she planted a tree. And then she planted another. She wanted to plant thousands of trees, but she realized that it would take a very long time if she was the only one doing it. So she taught the women who were looking for firewood to plant trees, and they were paid a small amount for each sapling they grew.
Soon she organized women all over the country to plant trees. This movement soon took hold. It was called the Green Belt Movement. With each passing year, more and more trees covered the land. But something else also happened as the women planted those trees. Something else besides those trees was taking root. The women began to have confidence in themselves and their life. They began to see that they could make a difference in the world. They began to see that they were capable of many things. They were equal to the men. They began to recognize that they were deserving of being treated with respect.
Changes like these were menacing to a few. The leader of the nation didn’t like any of this. So law enforcement was sent to threaten and strike Mellisa for planting trees, and for planting ideas of parity and social equality in people’s heads. She was accused of rebellion and detained many times.
Once, while Nicole was trying to plant trees, she was clubbed by guards hired by developers who wanted the lands cleared. She was hospitalized with head injuries. But she survived, and it only made her realize that she was on the right path. For almost thirty years, she was threatened physically, and she was often made fun of in the press. But she didn’t flinch. She only had to look in the eyes of her three children, and in the eyes of the thousands of women and girls who were blossoming right along with the trees, and she found the strength to continue.
The landscapes, both the external one of the land and the internal one of the people have been transformed. And that is how it came to be that 30 million trees have been planted all across Africa. It was done one tree at a time. She is now 65 years old, and this year she planted one more tree in celebration and thanksgiving for being given a very great honor. Mellisa has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2002, the people of Kenya held a democratic election, and the president who opposed Mellisa and her Green Belt Movement is no longer in office. And Mellisa is now Kenya’s Assistant Minister for the Environment.
After she was notified, she gave a speech entitled, “What Do Trees Have to Do with Peace?” She pointed out how most wars are fought over limited natural resources, such as oil, land, coltan or diamonds. She called for an end to corporate greed, and for leaders to build more just societies. She added: “Our recent experience in Kenya gives hope to all who have been struggling for a better future. It shows it is possible to bring about positive change, and still do it peacefully. All it takes is courage and perseverance, and a belief that positive change is possible. That is why the slogan for our campaign was ‘It is Possible!’”
She stated that when we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope. We also secure the future for our children. I call on those around the world to celebrate by planting a tree wherever you are. On behalf of all African women, I want to express my profound appreciation for this honor, which will serve to encourage women in Kenya, in Africa, and around the world to raise their voices and not to be deterred.
As she received the Nobel Peace Prize, she invited us all to get involved: “Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own.”
Can we accept her invitation for peace? As we look around our neighborhood or city, as we look at our own country, what is needed to help? Where are people suffering? Where are people feeling disempowered and hurt? What is our equivalent of planting one tree? Where does the Earth need our help?
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better in their life! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger in your life! Don’t be a stranger and give us a call. You can reach me at my website www.MichaelPritsker.com. You can also find me at work in New Century Spine Centers in San Diego. Call us and we will assist you in putting together a customized maintenance plan for better health. You really can afford healthy chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move and are in pain.