You were warned.

I warned you. I warned you repeatedly. In fact, I have been warning you for decades but would you listen? No – of course you wouldn’t. You always thought you knew better, so you didn’t listen. While I tried to make you see sense, I saw you with your hands planted firmly against your ears, singing at the top of your voice, ‘la la la la, I can’t hear you.’ You repeated this over and over. You went on your own merry way, never wanting to open your ears to reason, to common-sense, or even the starkest of warnings. And it wasn’t as though it was only me trying to tell you – there were those amongst your own who saw the signs; they reached out, they spoke up but they were ridiculed by many, and listened to by few. These pioneers have been and gone and now, when it is almost too late, they are revered. Okay, so in recent times you have made some half-hearted attempts but it has been and is nowhere near enough – much more needs to be done. But I’ve a sneaky feeling you are beginning to take notice. Do not become complacent – it might still be too late.

Now, I may well have done my job, but I didn’t want to see you suffer. But suffer you will and suffering you are. While you do your best to survive, I breathe easier. While your lungs fill with life-sucking fluid, mine begin to clear. Your head aches while the winds of change blow through the clouds of my mind. You cough and splutter as I my choking eases. I am feeling revived, I am even beginning to believe that I might survive. After decades of declining health, there appears to be a glimmer of hope. I never wanted to endure a slow and agonising death – I still feel young, with plenty of life in me yet.

But will this be enough? There is still a long way to go. There have been false dawns before. You have inadvertently contributed to my improving health while I have had to observe yours failing. But this could have been so much worse – it still might be if you do not manage it correctly. If you recover from this, and I believe you will – learn from it. There are a number of things that could contribute to your demise; a 21st century war to end all wars, an icy rock visitor from some far off universe may stop by or you may even drown in my rising saline solution. But, if anything is going to finish you off it will be none of these things. Oh no; there would be much pain and suffering if any of these dark happenings were ever to come true, but it would be nothing compared to what my microscopic friends could deliver. They have roamed amongst you before. You are clever and have defeated them. You may be clever but are you smart? Your survival is up to you.

Remember….if you look after me, care for me, nurture me – I may well do the same for you.

You have been warned – yet again. This time heed it.