Yes, let's go green!

All must support the call of the international beauties who visited Bacolod this week to make our earth green by preserving the environment.

Although seated with the Sunshine Boys at a table near the ramp during the Miss Earth pre-talent contest at L'Fsiher Hotel Monday night, personally we confess we did not entertain green thoughts looking at the beauties but thoughts of green vegetation. Negros must be greened. And Gov. Isidro Zayco looked nice surrounded by the beauties wearing green t-shirts photographed on the stairs of the Capitol.

Some beauties who did not participate in the talent contest sat at our table like Miss Puerto Rico Dignelis Taymi Jimenez, a lawyer and Miss Singapore Valerie Lim.

Miss Puerto Rico told us in her country English is not an official language like here.

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While viewing the presentation, some thoughts were flashing my mind. Presenting beauties and women pulchritude is good to awaken awareness. But there is the danger that what comes into some minds is only green thoughts and not the thoughts of green.

I was thinking of a creative idea, of television footage of the parched earth, the wilting leaves and accompanied by the lyrics and music of the 1960 movie “The Alamo” that starred John Wayne as Davy Crocket and Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie.

That's some 50 years ago but if you recall, “The Alamo” is a story of how a well known frontiersman Davy Crocket (John Wayne) together with Col. Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) battled the forces of Mexican General Antonio Santa Ana who became a Mexican dictator for nearly 30 years.

Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie were killed in the battle of the Alamo but Texas won its independence.

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What has the Battle of Alamo got to do with my topic of greening the earth? Nothing. It is the theme music of Alamo and the lyrics of the song that are very apt. “The Green Leaves of Summer” is a yearning for home with the green leaves of summer. Summers no longer have green leaves.

Pardon for some words and lines missed. But listen to the lyrics. “A time to be reapin', a time to be sowin' the green leaves of summer are callin' me home.”

Then recalling the days of plenty. “It was good to be young then, in the season of plenty. When the catfish were jumpin' as high as the sky.”

Then it ends with “A time just for planting, a time just for plowing, A time just for living, a place just to die. It was good to be young then to be close to the earth, now the green leaves of summer are calling me home.”

See? If we sing this again and again, we will be reminded that the green leaves of summer of our youth are what we need.

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If this is a good theme music to sing, to bring us back to the glory of our youth, there is another song I recall, from what movie I do not know.

It recalls of the once green fields, kissed by the sun and the valleys where rivers used to run. The song is “Green Fields.” Green again.

Listen. “Once there were green fields, kissed by the sun. Once there were valleys where rivers used to run. Once there were blue skies with white clouds high above. Once they were part of an everlasting love. We were the lovers who strolled the green fields.”

Beautiful. Is it not? But sad. Listen to this.

“Green fields are gone now, parched by the sun. Gone from the valleys where rivers used to run. Gone with cold winds that swept into my heart. Gone are the lovers who left their dreams apart. Where are the green fields that we used to roam?”

What made them run away? Climate change. More.

“I never know what made them run away. How can I keep searching when dark clouds hide the day. I only know there's nothing left for me. Nothing in this wide world left for me to see.”

But there is still hope. Here's the conclusion.

“But I'll keep on waiting till you return. I'll keep on waiting until the day you learn. You can't be happy while your hearts on the roam. You can't be happy till you bring it home. Home to the green fields and live once again.”

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I am a romantic and a true environmentalist. Every morning without fail except Sunday, I go to my little farm, feel the fresh and soft breeze, listen to the birds, the noise of chickens and animals.

And remember a song and the advice of a butterfly to one in love. “Go chase the moonbeams, across the meadow. And wrap a rainbow around your heart. Then get a blue bird to sing a love song. And Mother Nature will do her part.” Green? No! Just the beauty of poetry.

See? If you know the proper and best way of courting, by listening and doing what the butterfly advises, Mother Nature will just do her part.

Back to Mother Earth. Let us green it.

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I agree with the judges. The five winners in the talent contest last Monday among the beauties of Miss Earth were also our choice.

Brazil 's Larissa Ramos was also our top choice.*

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