Matt Mays asked me during a shoot at our home for the new Indianapolis Zoo Doplhin Show Production, “After this is all said and done, what do I want this to do?”
“Inspire change.”
Sitting nervously in a ” Be The Change” shirt, leading an organization to inspire youth and inspire others to learn how to help the planet, inspire others to stand up to plastic and choose to refuse single-use plastics and help the environment, hoping what our family does will inspire viewers in the zoo audience watching – when asked, what do I want this to do when it is all said and done, I failed to say it!
I answered to the best of my knowledge and spoke the truth. Explaining things we had learned along our journey to living plastic-free nearly eight years ago, and almost entirely zero waste over the past year and a half.
Flattered that Helping Ninjas were asked to be interviewed and to be given the opportunity and chosen to use our everyday life choices and experience and knowledge as an example to the Indianapolis area community – we were very excited to do the video shoot! When Helping Ninjas were asked to participate, I had thought they wanted to interview just the children! The production schedule did not disclose that I would be personally interviewed, so was a bit caught off guard, however, honored to have been asked to do so.
Layla, our daughter, and Helping Ninja, being interviewed on what types of things she packs her lunch in, other than plastic.
Our son, Leo, Age 9, got to share his testimony of how it makes him feel when he helps, and how he hopes others learn the harms of global plastic pollution on marine animals.
It was a great experience for the Helping Ninjas, and anything we can do to help inspire others, we are up for the challenge! It is our mission to bring awareness to the importance of teaching our youth and others to love and respect our home.
“We need nature.” Under the bright lights and into the camera lens, I do recall saying that to him.
As parents, guardians, grand-parents, educators, community members, and citizens of the world – we must remember to teach our children to respect Earth.
We must consider, before tossing something into the trash can, that there is no such thing as away. Everything must go somewhere.
Yesterday, we were watching old re-run episodes of the Brady Bunch with our four children, and Mr. Brady had gone grocery shopping; Mike and Carol had switched duties for the day. Mr. Brady had brought home four brown, paper bags full of food! The Brady girls, excalimed, “Good job Daddy!”
He preceeded to pull out plastic bag, after plastic bag, after plastic bag of vegetables.
Layla, says, “Look mommy,” exclaiming in horror, “look at all that plastic!”
Leo, says, “Yep, and those plastic bags are still here on the Earth right now, somewhere. “
Almost 40 years later.
Leo is right.
Plastic. Made out of petroleum, takes hundreds of years to bio-degrade. Hundreds.
Although, may not have said the exact things I wish I had in the video interview in retrospect nor did I have perfectly prepared and “rehearsed answers” to each of Mr. May’s questions, instead, I had done something just as great. Maybe, even greater.
I had taught my children something.
They were now aware.
I wanted to share this story, and how my family and the Helping Ninjas have embarked on a journey to refuse single use plastics and also, share a few photos that we captured of Mays Entertainment and the crew; a few “behind the scenes” photos of the new production to educate the environmental harms of plastic on dolphins and how one can help. We cannot wait to see the end result, and hope our story and experiences will hope to inspire others to refuse single use plastics!
The Indianapolis Dolphin Show Production is to be released March 21st 2019.
Lindsey Fella Berry, The Helping Ninjas Mom
