The Voice From The Back Row

Today I had the privilege of hearing from someone close to me an account of her vacation trip to Florida.  One of the highlights of her trip was a boat excursion in the waters of southwestern Florida.   There were some clear waters, views of marine life, gorgeous sunsets, and impressive landscapes; the tour also passed several mansions belonging to highly placed corporate and banking executives.  Those modern palaces were huge, opulent and beautiful to behold.  They were massively expensive, and in at least one case, only one of many such edifices owned by one of those executives.   She reported, “Everyone on the boat was thinking about the suffering of the world’s refugees, and also, more specifically, about the over 80,000 people who would not be getting a paycheck because of the government shutdown.”   It is a comment on the value system of our current economy, as well as the economies of many of the world’s countries, that such opulence can exist in the face of such suffering.

The most current example of arbitrary deprivation in this country is the over 80,000 families not receiving their paychecks this month.  Many of them have also been required to work without pay (usually, that is called slavery).  Most live paycheck to paycheck and will have to make hard choices about what to let go – healthcare, food, shelter, heating, transportation…the list goes on.  Food pantries and shelters are gearing up for an increased demand which they may not be able to meet.   Breadwinners are pursuing, often in vain, any job they can do – part time, gig – in an economy which is already stressed.   In short, bad news has been created by a government shutdown which could have been avoided.  People who pay taxes to support the government are now paying their livelihoods to support a government shutdown.

The economic suffering is not the only result of the government being suspended.  Government regulatory agencies such as food inspection and air traffic control are compromised.   Contracted services in the military and homeland security are suspended or not renewed.  Public buildings and parks are closed, and trash piles up in the tourist areas of DC and in our national parks.  These are a few of the effects as the shutdown drags on and on…….

There is, however, a silver lining to this pervasive dismal energy.  Some people have begun to open to the idea that we, the people, can make a difference, instead of trusting a government to do it for us.  These are a few examples, taken from the news.  There are surely more which have received less attention.  One example is a school system that is ramping up its use of substitute teachers and dropping many of the extra academic requirements used to give some applicants an edge over others.  It is opening that field to part time people who have a bachelors and can pass a background check.  That covers many furloughed government workers.    Another is the sight of people on our national mall picking up trash to keep one of our country’s showcases clean.  Yet another example is restaurants and organizations which offer free meal events. Not usually in the news are cooperative gardens, charitable neighborhood clinics, volunteer tutoring projects, daycare arrangements shared between parents, barter organizations, and the like.   Although there are not enough of these to cover the current crisis, it is a ray of hope that they are there.  They exemplify something that we used to know but have largely forgotten – the assumption that we are responsible for what happens to us, and that we are not helpless in the face of government incompetence.  We are not infants who need the protection and provision of Big Brother; we are adults, and together we can make a difference.  Big Brother exists when we forget this.

I would urge each of us to ask himself or herself this question:   What can I do to help?  What can I contribute?     Do I know of a family affected by the shutdown?  What can I do to help, even a small thing?  Is the school system stressed, is the snow affecting the elderly or the handicapped, is there a barren plot of land that could grow food, does someone need a ride to a job or a medical appointment?  Am I a doctor or an alternative care healer who might help?  What can I do to help?   If each of us can respond in large or small ways, some suffering can be avoided, and we will be reminded of our own power and our own responsibility.

The healing effect is magnified when we join together to act cooperatively.  A group can have a synergistic effect which is greater than the sum of the talents of those comprising the group.   This, also, I think we once knew, at least in part, but have forgotten.  Not totally, but often, we operate in competition with each other, focusing on our individual benefits rather than on the well-being of the whole.  Residential mobility and the tendency of neighbors to keep to themselves exacerbates this.  This focus on individual benefit does not apply comprehensively, but it is endemic in mainstream society.   It is one reason we have a shutdown in the first place. 

The core composition of activist groups and charitable organizations, neighborhood self-help groups, volunteer organizations, co-ops and close extended families are some examples of groups which have a greater effect on the well-being of the group than might be presupposed and also on the outreach that is often made.  Those who have had the privilege of being involved in such groups can attest to this.  They are examples of responsibility for ourselves and the magnified effects of group effort.  We need many more such startups. 

In addition, intentional communities are exemplary illustrations of responsibility and outreach.  I will not attempt to define them here, other than to say that they are groups of like-minded people who choose to commit to living in proximity and to creating supportive structures and solving problems together, using the synergistic effect of many ideas to magnify their effect.   Usually, they not only support themselves, but also reach out into the larger society to teach and assist in whatever ways they can.  One website that anyone interested can visit is www.ic.org .  These communities are a true seed of the future.

May we all reflect not only on the current situation of the shutdown, but also on the direction we wish to take for our future.  The current highly individual-oriented social system and the consumption-driven, extractive and money-oriented economic system are crumbling.  The people at the bottom of the system’s structural pyramid are suffering now; when they are too poor to consume, the top of the pyramid will also come tumbling down.  What do we want to replace it?  It is time to all consider these two questions:  What can I contribute?   With what groups can I cooperate to magnify beneficial effects, for myself and others?

I wish healing for us all and awakening to a gentler future.

Peace, Diane

It’s New Year’s Eve; the TV is on, waiting for the ball to eventually drop.  Why, I am not certain.  In the morning, it will be January 1, whether or not a ball has dropped.  The ball, though, seems to be a tradition.   It takes only a quick scan of the news this evening to realize that our world has indeed many serious issues to address.  Ignoring them is, I suppose, an option, if one is willing to release any interest in the outcome.  Conversely, too much focus on problems leads to depression.  The new year won’t solve them, but it might give them a chance to be solved, if we have the will and the wisdom to do so.

At a recent family gathering, I had the privilege of hearing the wisdom of the young.  Elders should listen to the young; it is a function of youth to point out discrepancies which those who are more set in their focus may be overlooking.  (Youth should also listen to elders, who have a depth of understanding and possibly skill in strategy, both of which are formed over time.)  This particular young woman pointed out what is certainly not a new discovery, but which so many of us tend to overlook, for one reason or another.  “People shouldn’t complain,” she pointed out, “unless they are willing to do something about it.”  She is correct, the sticking point being that complaining is easier than doing something about it.  Complaining, though, serves only to reinforce the situation being complained about.  In a complaint, the energy is given to the problem rather than the solution.

Collectively, people have the power to influence the direction events take as they unfold.  Disaster can turn into opportunity and positive creativity.  Conversely, destructive situations can thrive and expand.  It depends on how the most of us focus our attention and act.  For example, if most of us bewail the large problem of climate change and focus on the damage we will experience and on what others should be doing, little will be accomplished to alter the situation.  If , however, the vast majority of us decide this is remediable and perform such actions as planting trees, painting our roofs white, growing much of our own food instead of buying non-organically grown food, power our homes with other than fossil fuels and generally act in a collectively sustainable manner, much of the damage of climate change can be remediated and the threat of imminent disaster from climate can be avoided.  On a smaller scale, moaning about how hard math is to understand and how unfair it is to be judged in school and employment for our lack of understanding is not going to remedy the situation; it will perpetuate it.   A willingness to work at understanding, even if one is not at the top of one’s class, can work miracles in lifting one above the label of “dummy” in math.

It is not possible to turn back the clock to a time at which we believe our problems did not exist (although the roots of them may have existed then).  We can move only forward in time.  However, exactly where we go is not set in stone.  The New Year symbolizes a new beginning, a chance to push the reset button.  If we wish to choose a new direction, we must first ponder which direction we wish to follow, what are the qualities of that direction, what are the long-term effects of that direction, and what strategies will best lead us in that direction.  Which actions are consistent with it?   That done, we need to act, both individually, and whenever possible, in concert with others.  For myself, I would like a world in which our planet flourishes in its natural beauty, in which the material means of survival are justly divided, in which the forgotten and suffering are remembered and comforted, and in which people can grow in understanding and compassion.  Rather than large world governments or nations competing with nations, I see many small, diverse, self-governing units cooperating and trading with each other.  I must, then, attune my actions to be consistent with these large overall goals.  My actions will be my contribution to our evolving world.

What are some ways, large and small, in which people can act to contribute?  One might volunteer to teach a course at a local community college, or an online course.  One might write a book.  One might run for public office as a non-party controlled candidate.  One might join an activist group, larger or smaller.  One might raise funds for such a group or host an activist on travel.  One might simply speak up, wherever one is.  One might spend time playing cards with elders, who are often forgotten.  One might volunteer to help the homeless at a shelter.  One might tutor a child for free, at a local school or in his home.  One might start a neighborhood garden, teach others how to garden organically and distribute produce to food deserts.  One might organize a cooperative or a community.  One might plant trees. One might spend time cleaning up the streets or a local park or waterway.  One might pay a little extra to buy electricity generated by non-fossil fuel means.  One might learn and teach neighbors how to clean their houses by sustainable and non-toxic means.  One might advocate for a more inclusive model of health care.  These are only a few of the possibilities.  Each if us must find his or her own way; the important step is to think and to begin.  Each of us has a contribution to make.

I wish for us all this 2019 to awaken from the illusion that the status quo is stable, and will not change, even if it shakes a little.  The status quo is changing; we can influence what it morphs into.  To neglect this opportunity and to remain asleep is to passively but effectively give permission for it to change in ways which we will find distasteful, and which will take even more energy to correct than if the effort had been made initially to influence the direction.  The choice is not one for surface consideration.  The flow of energy and direction over time – the long-term results – are a matter for careful consideration, and perhaps deeper thought than most of us are used to, or even encouraged to engage in.   Established systems are resistant to being influenced, but they, too, change, either with conscious assistance or randomly.  We need the courage to apply ourselves, and the willingness to expend energy to understand and create.  I wish for us all to awaken to our power and our possibilities.

May we all have the courage to engage, the willingness to expend energy, the vision to set sustainable long-range goals, and the discipline to persevere.  Happy New Year!   

Peace, Diane

 Something is happening to Christmas, and, it seems, to other ways of celebrating the season as well.   I am fortunate to have memories enough to cover a span long enough to observe changes, and there are certainly differences between what I notice now regarding Christmas and what my earliest memories are.  Changes have occurred in time/pace, in commercialization and in connectivity. 

The Christmas I knew in childhood was slower paced.  There was still the work of preparing the celebration, but time was set aside to do those things, instead of their having to be interspersed with the increased end of year tasks at work, increased time spent on the computer, and the increased pace of time itself.  There was time to bake (kids included),  sit together around a table and craft works of gift wrap art, create a just right decoration for a tree, plan and create a special holiday meal, go for a drive and see beautiful light displays on homes and lawns, visit friends and attend holiday parties, and yes, even clean house!  We had time to savor the experience.  This has changed.  Reduced time available now results in as much as possible being rushed to meet deadlines (will packages arrive before Christmas?).  Often, the more pleasurable activities fall between the cracks.  The slower pace, the savoring, is gone.

There was a time when a small gift, even a homemade one, was not only enough, but was appreciated as much as a larger one. People who could afford to do so still gave larger gifts, but giving the largest or most impressive gift was not the standard for all.  The focus was not on the largest or most impressive gift, and children were taught that it is the thought that counts.  It was also standard to do charitable giving, even if only donating to the Santa-costumed ringer of a bell.  Now, responding perhaps to the frenzy of advertising that embellishes the season, the emphasis seems to be on how large or how much of a gift can be given to family or friends, and it is something of an art to find the best “deal” so it seems as if one is spending more than one really is.  The show has become important.  Malls are crowded, traffic is tripled, bouncy secular music encourages pedestrians to spend.  Black Fridays become extended, and stores vie to sell as much as they can, in this season where people’s purses are open.  Sometimes Christmas sales carry a store through an otherwise tamer year.   It is not that everything is that way – there are still those who engage in simpler celebrations and/or give preference to charity, but increased commercialization has become the standard.

Christmas was once a time in which families connected physically in a member’s home, in which people gave each other sincere holiday greetings in the workplace, in which the holiday could be mentioned in schools.  It was a time in which neighbors shared activities, be it only bringing a plate of cookies to the neighbors or sharing a pre-holiday dinner or a small holiday party with friends.  Some neighborhoods even cooperated to create impressive light displays.  Nowadays, families are scattered, and finances and lack of leave from work prevent many from making the journey to gather together.  Pre-holiday meals and small parties are often some of the pleasurable items that fall through the cracks of increased rushing.  Some activities still take place within strong church communities, but interaction and connection in churches is also diminishing, in favor of those who attend worship services and then go their own ways.  The sense of connectedness, of wonder, of rejoicing either religiously at the celebration of Jesus’ birth, or simply rejoicing that the sunlight has quit waning and is now beginning to increase – this is becoming absent.  Time for self-examination and renewal has been lost in the fragmentation accompanying the rush and commercialization.

If one can remember, it is certainly possible to bring the best of what was and combine it with the best of what is, to create ongoing traditions that nourish and connect us.  I have talked about Christmas, because it is what I remember.  I do believe that the changes I have noticed are not limited to Christmas.  They are broader, societal ones, which I am guessing will also affect celebrations of Hanukkah, of Solstice, of Diwali, of Eid when it cycles through the winter, of whatever form, specific or general, affects one during the season. For each, it is also possible to remember, to bring the best of what was, combine it with the best of what is, and create something of lasting responsiveness to deeper human needs.

I wish for all of us, young and old, male and female, alike and different together, time to self-examine, heal, create beauty and nourish each other.  May we take notice of those who suffer and reach out in compassion to help.  May we take the best of what was, combine it with the best of what is, and each in our own way begin to create a kinder, more loving world.

Peace, Diane

Sometimes a small thing, unremarkable in the grand scheme of things, can provide an insight into an assumption that people ignore or overlook.  Yet that unrecognized assumption can be a motivator of the manifestations in the overall picture.  Such a small event was recently in the news.

Some called it a scam; others labelled it a practical joke.  As no one got hurt, except perhaps in the ego, it was apparently harmless.  It attracted both judgment and admiration and seemed appropriate to this season of massive expenditures and consumption.  And, even if it was not intended as that, it served as free media advertisement for the jokesters.

It seems that the well-known discount shoe store, Payless, wished to emphasize the quality of its shoes, as well as pointing out the credulity of those who pay exorbitant prices for designer items.  The company created a new outlet, which it named Paylessi.   Paylessi was billed as the ultimate in fashionable exclusivity.  Its opening was attended by the elite, and shoes sold for as much as $600 a pair.  Those who could afford the prices flocked to the new outlet, while those in fashion marketing gave positive reviews to the shoes sold in the new store.  It was the latest “thing” to buy fashionable shoes at Paylessi. The designs and the construction of the shoes was lauded by those in fashionable circles.

Eventually, it was revealed that the shoes sold in Paylessi, which had received such excessive praise and for which people had paid excessive prices, were the exact same shoes sold for discount in Payless.   The revelation brought dismay to those who had paid to own the seemingly exclusive shoes, and the deception made the major local news outlets.   Paylessi was closed, and all those who had paid money were refunded what they had paid and were given to keep the shoes after their money was refunded.   The intention had not been to defraud people of their money.   Yet a light had been shown, for a moment at least, on a weakness in the human psyche.

Why had people been fooled by the merchandise in Paylessi, billed as exclusive fashion?   Or, perhaps more accurately, what is the attraction of paying exorbitant prices for items which do not necessarily have exorbitant quality but which only a few can afford to buy?  Is there a real value to such exclusivity?  Is it simply greed to pay to amass items the fashion value of which exceeds the practical value, when such money could also be applied to relieving some of the suffering in the world?  Or, is there an even deeper motivator?   Perhaps the answer lies in the constructs people have learned to use to perceive their own human value in shared society.

It is not unusual to observe among small children a desire not only to not share, to want to keep one’s own things to oneself, but also a desire to have someone else’s thing as well.   A child may want to have not only his or her own box of crayons, but also all the colors he or she likes from someone else’s box as well.  No child can color with that many crayons at once.  The desire is not a greedy impulse to collect crayons.  What the child perceives is that if he has all, or more of the crayons, he is better or more powerful than the child who has less.  He has proved his worth to himself.  The concept is reinforced as the child grows, through the use of competition as a motivator.  Who can get the best grade?  the biggest prize?   The child’s worth in his or her own mind becomes firmly linked to that.  There are few to teach that someone else does not have to be less, or bad, in order for the child to be enough or good.   Everyone can succeed, albeit in different ways.  No one needs be better than someone else.   The concept of being better than grows with the child into adulthood.

Too many of us – most, I would think – believe deeply as adults that we are less, or unsuccessful, or not good enough unless we are better than someone else.   There is an unconscious urge to perceive that someone else is less.  This perception in the extreme devolves into the assumption that some people are less human than us.  This is the underpinning of wars and racism.  It also causes suffering to ourselves as it generates the fear that we could at any moment become less – less wealthy, less successful, less powerful, less magnanimous, less skillful, even less human.  We value our worth in what makes us superior in our own eyes.  And we fall prey to such manipulations as Paylessi.

That is not to say that it is wrong to have money, or that it is wrong to be successful, or that it is wrong to gain fame or develop a talent.   Striving for excellence or achievement is a way we grow.  These things in themselves do not constitute a problem.   It is when we attach our self-worth or our humanity to them that we generate difficulties for ourselves.  The truth is that we are all intrinsically worthy, all composed of the same Source, and we do not need to be better than someone else in order to have value.  We are not diminished in value if we are not the same as someone else who appears to us to be more successful.   We simply need to open our eyes to see our worth and the worth of others.

In this season of approaching winter, let us stop for a moment to understand what our unobserved assumptions are doing to us as humans and to our planet.  Whether we celebrate the holidays with gifts and presents and parties, or whether we choose to spend more time with family and friends, or whether we withdraw to notice the solstice and the lengthening days, or in whatever other way we celebrate, let a part of our celebrations be developing an awareness of those assumptions.  If we can do this, we may indeed be able to arrive at a gentler, fairer and happier world.

Peace, Diane