Eight Billion Souls the World Knows
If the Earth could speak, what would she say about all of us?
BY DEZ ULRICH WITH ART BY NATALIE WILLIAMS
Is the world enemies with time? With every day that passes, babies are born and the world population grows. If Earth could speak, would she complain or relish in it?
Every morning I meditate, my soul grateful to be here. I’ll pass hundreds of people during the day and wonder where their soul is tethered, how the world is connected to them. But then I wonder, “If I pass hundreds of people daily in Minneapolis alone, how many people can the world possibly hold?”
In 2011, the year of Oprah’s last episode and release of the last Harry Potter film, the global population reached seven billion. That’s seven billion souls, all walking around the same Earth, breathing the same air. My household feels packed with seven people. I could not imagine what the world would say to seven billion people living in it. Yet, here we are.
Now imagine living in a world with over eight billion people. Eight billion different kinds of souls intertwined through Earth’s connection, living a variety of lives. Well, this reality is predicted to occur on November 15th, 2022.
In a sense, it’s captivating how society’s surpassed the hunting and gathering lifestyle and still has endless struggle and chaos. Personally, I feel like the world is a coin: looked at either on an all positive or all negative side. Some days, perspective lands on the negative side: starving children, violent wars, and abused power. On other days, we reflect on positivity: miracles, loving families, and heroes. However, the truth is, the positives and negatives of the world occur simultaneously.
In a world that’s growing exponentially, we should connect with as many souls as possible to return Earth’s love for us. As time passes, more souls are born that the world awaits to know.
United Nations. (n.d.). World population to reach 8 billion this year, as growth rate slows | | 1UN news. United Nations. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1122272