Seven Generations of Service

When we grow, we pass through developmental stages. Things that we see, feel and understand change over time and when I was trained to be an educator, there was a tendency to focus on the young, since educating them was the way most teachers would make their living. My approach to education required a deeper understanding of growth stages that we pass through after the "formal" education process is complete. I have never felt that education should cease because we fulfill the requirements of any school. Luckily, I have found a profession that requires me to continue to learn, adapt and develop both skills and knowledge. Of course, what is harder to teach is attitude. Many feel that this is the hardest part of being a teacher, inspiring a curious attitude. Life long learning seems to me to be redundant, but for many, the idea of stimulating one's brain past high school, or college seems foreign. I often repeat what an older mentor said when I was a young man and a bit more impressionable, "I've forgotten more than most young people have learned." however, as my training has taught me, I do know where to look up much of that information when I need it. Sometimes knowing where to look is as important as what you find there.

We have dug ourselves quite a hole over the past seven generations. Many of our resources, (which I like to think of as gifts) are either waning, or have completely run out. Our species has run out of territory to "move on" into. Our cavalier cowboy approach to economics, land use and "development" have led to a broken economy, broken lives, broken homes and broken cities. The numbers of people falling through the cracks has increased exponentially as has our inability to resolve pressing issues. I feel that some of this is because we have been driven to distraction by stressors in our own lives. Many also find that if they look closely at nearly any problem, it seems to be systemic, and resolving it seems like it will take more effort than they can muster. I still have faith in education. I believe that if we can learn new ways of seeing, new ways of behaving and new ways to be of service to others, we can find our way out of several of the messes that we have made over past generations. What we need is a better framework for valuing our needs and critically investigating our wants.

I feel that we need to ask several important questions about each and every one of our choices, from housing to food and from energy to consumerism generally. Even the causes we support and our volunteerism can have lasting impacts on our planet and our collective future. How much is enough? Will this serve the next seven generations? Where have these things come from, and perhaps, more importantly, where will they end up? Remember that in nature there is no away, the planet works with such elegance that there is no waste, everything serves another purpose when it is passed it's "useful life". Every individual organism is an integral part of the whole. I am confident that if we can learn to become like our brothers and sisters in the natural world, we will fare much better in the coming years. We are taking some baby steps in the right direction, but to make a lasting positive change, we will need to embrace changes that will lead to sustaining the planet, it's essential resources, and the ability of future generations to enjoy a standard of living at least as high as that to which we have become accustomed.