Umate

Umate meant different things to different beings —endurance, the imperturbability of nature despite the efforts of sentient beings to remake the galaxy, even just the novelty of a natural thing in an artificial world.

To Lina Soh, [.] Umate meant... choice.

The city-world's planners could have removed the mountain at any point in its millennia history, but generation after generation had not. They had repeatedly made the decision —the choice— to preserve this one place, this one thing. [.]

Progress was inevitable and crucial, but was not the only goal.

Mindfulness was also important.

Choice.

If indeed there are millions of things we have not the power to change in this world, there are as many that are under our control.

From being kind to strangers to buying a specific brand of soap, all our life is a continuous sequence of choices.

And, although some of them come with our personal privileges or the endemic impact that we can have on society, every one of us has the power to modify our collective future.

Sure, we cannot fight all fights. Each one of us feels close to some specific battles, and personal milestones, or "mountains" to preserve and protect. But when we do have the voice, and the strength, and the will to make THAT choice, we should.

Meaningful change is not due to massive decisions, but small acts, that we perform every day.

And, as the most precious things, "Umate" —whatever "Umate" is for you— is fragile and ephemeral.

Preserving it is the responsibility that comes with our freedom.

The world that we want, our legacy, is in our hands.

Umate remained, though, the benefit of a choice made generation after generation to preserve the mountain even in attenuated form.

Lina Soh appreciated that —the way societies could choose heritage over progress, represented here in living stone.

But to the chancellor, Umate had a second meaning. [.] There was nothing so big it could not be swallowed up. Nothing so strong it could not be humbled. Nothing so tall it could not be made small.

Not a mountain, and the Republic.

[Photo: a tiny tiny SW High Republic pin by @kulturegirlflair. Note: mine is the half pin, on a reflective surface]