In my previous post, I compared what’s happening to the ‘End of Rome’, if we’re not very careful then this is going to be very much the case. Of course, this whole thing does provide us with an opportunity, all it requires is a change in the way we look at things.
I think this is an important change to make, as I think we seem to be largely in denial of the scale of what’s happening, but also unable to see a way through it. Now, my personal conviction is that this isn’t a deficiency in intelligence, or in our ability to rise to the challenges ahead of us. I think it’s a problem of perspective, we cannot accept the change because we seem to lose everything, and I admit the sheer enormity of the idea is frightening.
So can we turn that perspective around? I think the answer is yes, we have an opportunity here to learn much more about living lightly on the Earth in a sustainable way, but also a chance to learn to take pleasure in something other than reckless consumption. We could gain a better environment to live in, with less noise and traffic fumes. A chance to slow down the pace of things maybe, gain some much needed time for reflection? I feel that we lose a great deal because of our frantic pace, we miss a lot and I know I’m not the only one who feels like that, but more of that another time.
It’s easy to point the finger and call this wishful rusticism, but the alternative is unsustainable and will come crashing down around our ears sooner rather than later. So we may as well find the silver lining, I don’t think it’s such a bad one.
So, this could be our chance at a new age, not a ‘Golden Age’ by today’s standards, but given where those standards have led us to, how much faith can we put in them anymore?
The Rambling Taoist says:
You’re so right! The current crisis provides us with an excellent opportunity to move in a sustainable direction, but the powers that be not only don’t want to go in that direction but won’t…until they have to.
That said, the rest of us don’t need their permission to change OUR lives. I know my wife & I are working to change ours.
8 April 2009, 3:47 am