i don't wish for peace on earth anymore. nothing in human history suggests we'll ever see it. what i do wish for- and what i am seeing glimmers of here and there- is self sufficiency. i also wish for awareness that what you have causes another to go without- and i see more and more folks realizing that as the world grows smaller. i am not hopeful that the world situation is going to change- there will always be the same type of folks in charge- the ones who want to exploit others. what gives me hope is that more and more 'regular' folks are doing what they need to do to change things where they are.
i had a restful, thankful thanksgiving this year and from what little contact i had with other human beings- i felt hopeful for the first time in a long time. i hear more words like 'we want to make our environmental footprint smaller' and 'i want to buy locally but don't know where' and i hear parents teaching their children to be respectful and mindful of where things come from. folks here in america are in dire straits- unemployment and under employment are at all time highs and what makes me feel good about the whole thing is- it is forcing folks to learn things that a generation had forgotten. things like reusing and fixing things- swapping and mending clothes and other household goods. it is actually fostering more of a sense of community than we here in america have felt in a long time.
now, i am not getting all pollyannish- i know we still have a really long way to go- but the seeds have been planted- and with some attention- they are going to grow. climate change or not.
