It is a common fear, I think, that harasses a large number of people: to die meaninglessly, leaving nothing behind. For some it may only manifest itself in dreams, creating the annoying but altogether insignificant nuisance of an occasional sleepless night. For others, though, it can have a dramatic, almost paralyzing affect. Indeed, while such a fear may galvanize a lucky few to accomplish something significant, it seems only to function as a gadfly for the many, simply gnawing at their consciences, following them in eternal discontent.
Why so many of us are susceptible to this fear is certainly up for debate. I personally believe the answer is directly related to the nature of human beings as simultaneously very ambitious and fundamentally lazy creatures. We are born, it would seem, with a tremendous desire to do good, hindered by a grave distaste for doing anything at all. And while I suppose the philosophers among us can appreciate the irony of the situation, none of us are any the better for changing it.
What, then, ought we to do? Honestly, I am not entirely sure; rather than simply to commiserate with you, though -- take heart -- I am in fact writing to make a suggestion. While you search for that grand, good thing that is not too taxing to accomplish, and that will undermine your fear's very essence, take a baby-step, as it were, for the environment: replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps ("CFLs"). It will take you a matter of minutes, save you money in electricity costs, and, hopefully, give you a little peace of mind. For once your lights are switched, you can take solace in knowing that while you may not be bettering the lives of your neighbors (yet), at least you won't be polluting their air (as much).
For those of you unfamiliar with CFLs -- or those who are skeptical of their benefits -- I offer you the following brief elaboration. CFLs are light bulbs that can be screwed into any socket already fit for incandescent bulbs (incandescents are the normal ones you probably have stockpiled in your closet). They are extremely efficient, requiring between one-quarter and one-fifth the energy of a standard bulb, and are generally guaranteed to last five to ten years before burning out. Since they use less electricity than standard bulbs, they will lessen the demand placed on your energy supplier; and as demands decrease, so does the amount of coal burned to meet them, resulting in cleaner air for us all.
It is difficult to imagine one eschewing this particular chore for the difficulty involved, as, simply put, there is none. Still, CFLs are not advertised as powerfully as they ought to be, so one could assume they would be hard to find and, therefore, not worth the effort of finding. Rubbish! Today CFLs can be found at Target, Wal-Mart, hardware shops, corner stores, even grocery stores. Any place that sells regular light bulbs is likely to sell CFLs as well, so there is hardly an excuse for not purchasing them.
All in all, switching light bulbs is a simple and good thing that everybody ought to do. Ideally, it would inspire you to do other simple and good things; and others in turn would be inspired to do simple and good things; and eventually we would all be inspired to do many and great things. Even if no such chain reaction occurs, though, and even if you are the only person from this day forth who decides to perform the menial task of switching light bulbs, your action will be well worth the effort. You will have done a simple and good thing, and each one counts. The environment will be thankful, and you will be able to sleep better at night.