Allowing Change To Come, Welcoming Our Future

Last evening I saw frightful evidence that there are those who feel that the Biblical reference to "end times" is fact and that the schedule of events is set and unchangeable. It gave me pause to consider the dozens of millenarian beliefs that have come and gone over the decades. If we do this, it will surely mean the end of civilization as we know it. If we do that, it spells disaster, the aliens will beam us up if we wait in a certain field on a hilltop during the full moon of October, etc. Friends, and I mean it in the most New Jersey of ways, we cannot keep basing our decisions on a book that has been fabricated to placate the human need for power and control over vast populations. You know it, the women get a very raw deal in the biblical "rule book". Clinging to the end times as a relief from ways of the world is as absurd as setting a date certain for the demise of humankind. Belief in a prophet as the son of God is only silly when you realize that Bible Thumpers have fabricated an image of god that is as unbalanced as we are. I can tell you, if I loved the world so much as to give them my only begotten son, I sure as hell wouldn't turn around and destroy it. The frightening thing about realizing that these "believers" are amongst us is that they have no semblance of responsibility for what is going to happen in the future.

I suppose, for them, having the joy of doing pretty much whatever they want until the rapture, which will close the book on civilization, has a liberating effect. Like watching the flowing river can take us wherever we want to go, the efficacy of god's exit strategy exempts us from having to do or try anything. From time to time there are facets of our lives that seem as alien to me as the concept of missionaries. Fortunately, there are also times that I can see past the events of the day and the processes that we have developed to live "civilized" lives, knowing that they too will change and develop or be cast off when they are no longer useful or capable of taking us where we need to go. Certainly, the intolerance of my grandfather's generation had to change. If it had not, there would be far more people dying in the streets than we have today. Religiosity too has fared poorly in these times, which some fear is a dangerous reflection on our moral code of ethics. Ironically, the abandonment of organized religion speaks to the fact that out of touch myths have lost their power over our minds. I find this one of the most refreshing parts of being alive at this time. There is finally a new way of seeing the world that allows us to be directed from our hearts rather than our minds, or what some well-meaning person says from the pulpit.

When we take a trip, or go on vacation, we must leave behind a set of expectations and comforts that we have become accustomed to. The same can be said about the times we are living in. What has worked in the past cannot thrive in the face of mounting evidence that we are killing our species off through ever increasing burdens of toxic and carcinogenic substances in our food, air, water and the soils. I have to laugh at the recent media campaign "Stand Up To Cancer", the first two people I knew who died from that disease were my grandmothers, over fifteen years apart. Now, twenty-five years later, I would relish even a single year without losing several friends or loved ones to the disease. In spite of the truth about cancer, we still seek to research the heck out of it and to develop treatments for the disease rather than stopping the process where we can be most effective. I blame those who are seeking a way out or a method for forsaking the idea of change.

As our train has already left the station, it is for us to do what we can to pass the time in ways that do not disrupt other people who may be on a different trip. Some claim, very convincingly, that their itinerary is the best one, but as we eventually come to learn, it is the trip that matters, not your schedule of events. The times may not inspire hope for everyone, but the one sure thing is that nothing will stay the same except the moon and the sky. We cannot hope to move either one, but we can make changes in our selves. In my own way, I have come to a place of giving back. This is a challenge for someone who has been told that I am in poverty for nearly my entire life, but as we have come to learn, the best things in life are free. A good friend sings a song that has the lyric, "There's only two things you just can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes." The abundance of nature keeps staring us in the face, day after day. How we meet the challenges of our daily lives is completely up to us, but my own feeling is that by sharing the love we have with others, we can learn to grow together. Unlike those awaiting the "end times", I am committed and invested in the unending arc of time.

As we learn and grow, we continue to make strides toward a future that none of us can imagine today. What we can be sure of is that without kindness and sensitivity to the results of our actions, learning to cope will not get any easier. This month I am involved in a massive remodel of our home. We have a tiny little place that is warm and welcoming, but the cost of owning it has exceeded our expectations. As a fine friend once put it, we are left to find ways of generating more income. However, as we have all see, especially in the recent past and foreseeable future, any pennies saved are actually earned. Therefore, I have invested heavily in insulation and anxiously await the heat bills of an upgraded home. In researching figures about the carbon footprints of people around the world, I have found the one thing about the worldwide recession that may hint at a silver lining. Our assault on mother Nature has lessened as we spend less and rely on more and more local sources for our way of life. As far as I am concerned, there is no downside to living within our means and trying to live without cheap plastic crap from China. I do believe in a future with my fellow human beings. What others believe in is ultimately up to them, but when it cuts off access to making up our own minds, or acting responsible in the light of new information, that is where I part company with the doomsday prophecies.

Try to do one thing every day that will make a difference in 100 years. You may be surprised to find out where that perspective leads. Lord and Lady both know trying things the other way has not worked up 'til now. The change that is coming will most certainly be frustrating at times, perhaps even unwelcome from time to time, but if we change the eyes with which we see these events unfold, actively participating in becoming a solution to difficult times, troubles and challenges, we have the greatest source of power at our disposal. The ability to love one another and our planet as we love our selves. Don't place your faith in antiquated writings, but rather the people who share a vision of a better life through active participation in the world rather than forsaking them. Arms are for hugging and through the love that a hug represents, all the troubles of the world can be faced unafraid.

On The Road To Utopia

When the average persons considers utopia, it is through the prevailing social haze of disharmony, distrust and disillusionment that clouds virtually everything we do. The most difficult thing to bear along our collective path is the excess baggage that we often carry that serve no useful purpose other than to drag us, or hold us down. I remember a few of my earliest backpacking treks. I would return home after a week or two in the wilds, only to find a few things that had been carried over miles of trail and that served no purpose along the way. A pair of pants, a writing pad or a few cans of sardines might not seem like very much excess baggage, especially when considered separately but all three, together, over a forty mile hike clamoring up mountains and wading through rivers definitely makes them seem more like liabilities rather than necessities. We have got to consider well the thoughts and action that we carry with us in our lives each day, to begin to make sense of the complex idea of Utopia, it's implications for ourselves, others and the entire planet that we share, at least for the time being, with all the critters that we share the Earth with.
Turn the average American head and you will find a sickening array of advertising, disturbing images and disarray. Between the murder and mayhem that often feeds us visually through television, the nauseating line-up of mind-numbing commercials and the "news" that most would agree has absolutely nothing to do with our lives, it is a wonder that have not degraded both mentally and socially, further faster. I, for one, feel that it speaks volumes to what some refer to as "human nature". If we listen to the Malthusians, the end is extremely near. This phenomenon has been with us since people first gathered together in groups trying to ward off the dark and cold. It seems that for some, knowing that their suffering will indeed end on some specific date helps them to cope, or perhaps, it lets them continue to ignore what needed to be done to make real, positive and lasting change in the world around them.
Case in point, several folks I know around town continue to post signs referencing specific Bible passages. If they have any real and positive effect on the world, I have not seen it. In fact, other than distracting drivers, they contribute nothing to society at large. Most often they serve only to distract and feed a false sense of security in the people who post the signs. When you meet these individuals, their countenance is gruff, belligerent, sardonic, sarcastic or just cold. In my estimation, anyone who believes crap that influences them to become ignorant, angry, rude, distrustful, judgmental and hateful needs to find another "good book" to read. What would be even better is if they would stop trying to inject nearly two thousand year old texts into our consciousness while we are trying to drive. I selectively watch the "tube", limit my exposure to commercials of all kinds, try to remember to "put on my thinking cap" when I am exposed to commercial messages as much as possible and try to remember to question whom each message serves, which can be a mammoth task in this day and age. Many are content to let the vast majority of the messages we are bombarded with daily fly under their radar, directly into the sub-conscious.
If we are to find a path to sustainability and alleviate any significant amount of pain in the world at large, we need to discover those things in our pack that limit our progress and either take them out of our collective "pack", or find ways to use them as examples for future generations to help educate our children about the plight of hanging on to things rather than investing in people. When one finds themselves with nothing, it can be scary. Believe me, I have been there. Another person that I cared about deeply took their life last week. A person who was always quick with a smile, a happy story and some good news. As odd as it may sound, even though he was a casual acquaintance and all-around-good-man, I couldn't find the words to ask him what was wrong the last time we worked together. Was it my own ignorance? Was it social conditioning? Was it selfishness? Perhaps it was a combination of all three. In retrospect, I did notice that his teeth and hair needed care. Not to "blame" myself, but I did notice. Do we need to ask others, "What is going on with you?" Surely, we do. Old way thinking leads many to ignore their fellow humans, unless they either do something extraordinary for us, or occasionally if they do something for society. Perhaps a simple tenacity on the topic of how things are going would serve everyone a bit more than biblical admonitions, commercials and more crime programs on the tellie.
I am frequently reminded of the old Cat Stevens song, But I Might Die Tonight, since first hearing it back in the seventies, I took it's messages to heart. There were times that I considered the possibility that it would be at my own hand, surely. I often wonder if anyone ever makes it through a lifetime without at least considering suicide a few times. When I was young, I was convinced that I would not make it past thirty. I was prepared to be martyred because of the violent rhetoric and seething hatred that the right expressed toward peaceful loving people. Since I always sensed that the spiritual world was every bit as valid as the physical one, I never feared death. I would not say that I "faced it" like we are led to believe the steely eyed soldier might, tauntingly or defiantly. I look to that transformation as more of another part of life, like taking out the trash or changing a poopy diaper. No fun, perhaps, but necessary. I have relatives in the death industry, so like with most things I have seen, I try to learn from all aspects life rather than rejecting any part of it. In my experience, when people pass the veil, often their survivors say that it makes them value life more fully. "Each and every moment are gifts", because you never know when your final act will occur. Perhaps if we allowed the true value of our decisions become real to us, believe me this can take a lifetime to learn. Perhaps if we developed the skill to reach out with our hearts, not just harsh words and judgement. Perhaps if we could develop skills to value one another as the true miracles that we are, the road would seem less bumpy, a lot shorter and it would seem to open out infinitely, like the blossoming lotus flower. If nothing else, at least there would be a lot less extraneous crap in our rucksacks.