We want those words to fly right off the page into the reader's heart. Because my family memoir was just published, I have been thinking a great deal about family stories and have many I like. Certainly, I like the one about my aunt who'd stay with us if my parents went out in the evening. She'd close all the curtains and then walk by all the windows with my father's hat on so any robbers outside would think there was a man inside. As a world community, we are struggling to learn that every species of plant or animal is unique and to be protected.
Governments sign documents to work together to protect the environment.
My hope is that all of us interested in protecting the planet and conserving biological diversity will realize that humans are part of what we need to protect, that cultures and languages are also unique, examples of human inventiveness. When a language disappears, a whole way of seeing and explaining the world vanishes. About 6,000 languages are spoken today. Once that figure was 15,000. What a loss since I believe diversity is our common wealth.