I try not to think in worst case scenarios. I have two beautiful little girls who are full of dreams. I have a beautiful garden and I live in the extraordinary Peace Country of Alberta full of rivers, prairies, forests and creatures. For all of these reasons I must remain optimistic that the will exists to learn to live in a sustainable way. Predictions for my part of the world include more severe weather, drought and more expense for those things brought into our community. While these things are worrisome in themselves, what worries me the most as we consume our way through our resources is how we will behave toward those around us as there is less and less to consume. How will we respond to the parts of the world that are now supplying us with cheap food as their countries suffer the effects of climate change? Who might eye our resources as things become scarcer? It's difficult to answer those questions because I have seen abundance bring out the worst in people, while crises can bring out the best.
I believe kindness is a key element in sustainability. Kindness to ourselves is critical. The kinder I am to myself it seems the less I need from the world and the easier it is to be kind to others. Kindness extended to those around me is reflected back. What is kindness? Seeing, acknowledging and honoring the intrinsic value in someone or something in such a way that they know they've been seen, acknowledged and honored simply because they are.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Dark (K)night
Last night I went to see the The Dark Knight with Mark. Another Batman movie it explores the fine line between good and evil,asking some interesting questions: Is it easy to be "good" when you haven't experienced the pain of loss? To what extent are we responsible for the actions of others? When given the power to choose, your life or another's, would you end someone else's life? In typical Hollywood style, these questions are imposed on caricatures of people, in extreme situations, so that no one can miss the obvious. We all leave the theatre hoping that we could be the hero required at any particular moment in time.
Well, this is always that moment and it's pretty easy to be a hero...at least it seems as though it should be. At what other point in history are we asked not how could we do more, but how could we live with less? When else instead of trying to fuel our machines with all the energy we can find to go careening into the future, would we be doing more for the world by slowing down? There is a wonderful world waiting to be discovered if we would only slow down and allow our attention to be drawn away from the things that have cluttered our view.
Yesterday I laid on the ground and felt the embrace of gravity as I stared out into the universe. (An exercise taken from Stephan Harding's book, Animate Earth). I wondered what kind of love it takes to not only sustain me with wheat that is grown, sheaved and ground into flour for bread, but the kind of love that would makes something as exquisite as a strawberry or raspberry top it off? It's the kind of love that Batman can't see or feel as he goes flying down the road on his supersonic, highpowered motorbike, through the crime ridden streets of Gotham.
No Heroes
Sometimes the cause gets so big and the issues all get confused,
Sometimes the greater good means that you have to sacrifice the few,
Sometimes the best intentions can create the largest crime,
Nobody gets to be the hero all the time,
Nobody has to be a hero all the time.
Well, this is always that moment and it's pretty easy to be a hero...at least it seems as though it should be. At what other point in history are we asked not how could we do more, but how could we live with less? When else instead of trying to fuel our machines with all the energy we can find to go careening into the future, would we be doing more for the world by slowing down? There is a wonderful world waiting to be discovered if we would only slow down and allow our attention to be drawn away from the things that have cluttered our view.
Yesterday I laid on the ground and felt the embrace of gravity as I stared out into the universe. (An exercise taken from Stephan Harding's book, Animate Earth). I wondered what kind of love it takes to not only sustain me with wheat that is grown, sheaved and ground into flour for bread, but the kind of love that would makes something as exquisite as a strawberry or raspberry top it off? It's the kind of love that Batman can't see or feel as he goes flying down the road on his supersonic, highpowered motorbike, through the crime ridden streets of Gotham.
No Heroes
Sometimes the cause gets so big and the issues all get confused,
Sometimes the greater good means that you have to sacrifice the few,
Sometimes the best intentions can create the largest crime,
Nobody gets to be the hero all the time,
Nobody has to be a hero all the time.
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