My Beach in the '70s: A Return to What Matters

Imagine a beach in the '70s: soft sand, pure air, and waves crashing like nature’s lullaby. People moved slower, more attuned to the rhythm of the Earth. This was my childhood—first spent in northern Angola, surrounded by the Congo River, mangroves, and lush forests. Then, at six, I moved to the Island of Luanda—a paradise for a child—where the tides delivered sardines to our garden. The waves, the wind, the coconut and mango trees—nature was my playground. It was simple. It was beautiful. It is part of me.

But life moves us. After the 1974 revolution in Portugal, my family moved to S?o Paulo, Brazil. It was there that I first felt the weight of a world out of balance. By 1976, S?o Paulo was already choking on pollution. The air was thick with smog, the city buzzing endlessly, and engines hummed relentlessly. It took months for my headaches to subside, but the pollution? It remained, quietly creeping in. I had adapted. I didn’t notice it anymore.

This is the danger: we start to accept the chaos as normal. The pollution, the noise, the synthetic rhythms of city life—they become part of the background. And we adjust. But just because we get used to something doesn’t mean it’s okay. The damage is subtle, seeping into our bodies, our minds, and our very way of being.

The Disconnect: Are We Listening?

Today, most of us are so immersed in the noise and busyness of modern life that we no longer hear the Earth’s natural rhythms. We’ve traded simplicity for chaos, and we’ve convinced ourselves it’s just how life is. But it’s not. Pollution isn’t just irritating—it’s insidious. It erodes us slowly, and we’ve learned to live with it. But that doesn’t make it right. We’ve forgotten what it feels like to be in tune with nature, to live in balance with it.

Pollution is poison. The noise? Mentally corrosive. You don’t need a degree to understand that. Just listen to your body—it knows when something is wrong.

Technology: A Tool, Not a Trap

Technology is powerful, but like any tool, it depends on how we use it.

Right now, many are selling us the idea that we can keep burning fossil fuels and exploiting the Earth’s resources endlessly. But that’s a lie. We have alternatives: solar, wind, waves, hydrogen, all already viable and even economically cheaper. The technology to heal the planet is already here. We ignore the gatekeepers and just need to use it wisely.

But technology alone won’t fix things. Without a deeper understanding of human values, respect for nature, and sustainability, we’ll keep repeating the same mistakes. We must teach the next generation to prioritize what truly matters: nature, integrity, and living in harmony with the planet.

A New Path: It’s Not Too Late

The good news is, we can change. We don’t have to continue down this destructive path. Imagine a world where technology helps heal the planet, where clean energy powers our cities, and sustainable practices preserve our environment. That world is possible. But it starts with us. We need to reconnect with the Earth’s rhythms and teach others to do the same.

This moment is crucial. It’s time to break free from the noise of modern life and rediscover what really matters. The beach of the '70s still exists, waiting for us to find it again. The rhythm of nature is still there—we just have to listen.

Reclaiming What Was Lost

The beach of the '70s was more than a place—it was a connection to something pure. That connection still exists. If we slow down, sense our senses, embrace technology for the right reasons, and teach future generations about sustainability, we can build a world where the Earth’s rhythm and our lives are in harmony again.

Let’s go find that beach once more.