August 6, 2009
We're in Jordan, MN. Another KOA that is a world apart from the last one. I took a shower in a clean bathroom this morning—what a treat. We're in a pretty quiet spot with lots of big trees. Hard to believe that a little bit up the road is a major metropolitan area. At some point yesterday I noticed that instead of two lanes in each direction, there were 3. I can't say that I have missed the traffic and the whole urban thing. We will take the northern route out of here and delay our immersion into the congested Midwest for a few more days when we leave here sometime next week!
I heard on the news the other day that consumer spending is up slightly while wages and saving are down. There was some euphoria about this. I just felt myself groaning. Here we go again. Everyone is trying desperately to put Humpty Dumpty together again without recognizing that that egg is rotten. How many times do we have to go back and try the same old stuff? An economy that relies on overconsumption for 70% of its activity while at the same time lowering wages whenever possible is not a sustainable one. Yet everyone keeps wanting to do it again and see if maybe it will work this time. Someone once said that was a definition of insanity. Do people never learn? What is it that makes us so unwilling to change, to try new things or new ways of being? Is the cultural pressure that strong? Do we lack a sense of responsibility for ourselves, our fellow citizens, and the planet? Or are we afraid to look at our own role in what's going on? Maybe we're scared. I don't know. I am scared, too. I am scared to keep on living in a culture that is so blind. I am scared to think about the kinds of devastation we will be witnessing if we don't start getting a grip. I am scared for all of the beings on the planet who will suffer terrible consequences as a result of our old thinking. What scares me is not new ideas or challenges, but rather having to keep living in a culture that avoids them. This is supposed to be a country where innovation is prized and original thinking is valued. The reality is rather different. Innovation? Original thinking? Great, if you can turn it into a money-making operation. Innovation and original thinking that works in service to human beings? No thanks. This is not the kind of world I wish to live in. I guess I still have some hope left that things will change and people will awaken from this consumer nightmare. Or maybe I just need to wake up!
Precisely right, Shari and Bill. I am with you 100% on all counts. I just returned from a trip to Canada where I spent a week in Vancouver and Victoria. As a tourist, my perspective was necessarily limited. However, I spent time with friends, read the news, and observed the television programming and its absence of buy-buy-buy advertising. Overall, Canada seems more humane and more civilized. They figured out a way long ago to deliver health care to all citizens without ministering to a for-profit system and insurance lobbies. When I observe the values in our country and assess the prospects for change, I cannot be optimistic. Most Americans (as best I can tell) would love nothing better than to return to pre-mortgage crisis days. We have intentionally avoided learning the hard lessons of the "crash." If we refuse to learn, we will not achieve lasting change. We will merely adapt until times improve then revert to our old habits. Values must change; otherwise we will remain mired in bitterness and resentment over our reduced circumstances. The spirit of entitlement still prevails and is difficult to counteract. Please keep writing and sharing. Yours is the voice of sanity. And compassion. Love and hugs to you.
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