The Ultimate Simplicity of Unity

September 23, 2011 by scillagrace

Health comes from wholeness. This is true for every individual body on the face of the planet right up to the Earth itself. If the spherical (3-dimensional) network of interconnections is intact and working in harmony, we enjoy good health. Damaging those connections and setting up division between body and soul, body and earth, ourselves and others, creates a loneliness that we compensate using violence and competition. Violence to part is violence to the whole. We undo the fabric of life this way. Whenever we insist on the “rights of the individual”, we chip away at those connections. (see Jessa’s comment on the last post) How do we practice unity and health? How do we take up a posture of balance in our relationship to Creation or the Universe? Do we have the maturity and courage to desire this responsibility on our own so that it isn’t an “obligation”?

This morning, I have been reading an essay by Wendell Berry called “The Body and The Earth” from The Unsettling of America published in 1977. It is an extremely articulate and broad analysis of that “spherical network” that moves fluidly from agriculture, to Shakespeare and suicide, to sexual differences and divisions, and more. Here is an excerpt from the beginning which describes the mythic human dilemma:

“Until modern times, we focused a great deal of the best of our thought upon such rituals of return to the human condition. Seeking enlightenment or the Promised Land or the way home, a man would go or be forced to go into the wilderness, measure himself against the Creation, recognize finally his true place within it, and thus be saved both from pride and from despair. Seeing himself as a tiny member of a world he cannot comprehend or master or in any final sense possess, he cannot possibly think of himself as a god. And by the same token, since he shares in, depends upon, and is graced by all of which he is a part, neither can he become a fiend; he cannot descend into the final despair of destructiveness. Returning from the wilderness, he becomes a restorer of order, a preserver. He sees the truth, recognizes his true heir, honors his forebears and his heritage, and gives his blessing to his successors. He embodies the passing of human time, living and dying within the human limits of grief and joy.”

Last night, Steve handed me his own definition of living holistically: establishing (or re-establishing) a personal responsibility towards all aspects of the universe. He defines responsibility here as love, that is “presence with or an acknowledged relationship with” and the desire to improve that relationship. He noted that this responsibility comes from free will, not as an obligation. This is the posture of openness, the basic attitude to begin any discussion about living sustainably or in unity and harmony. Think of it as the beginning of a tai chi exercise or a yoga session. You take a balanced position: heels together and toes out for tai chi; heels together, toes together, palms together in front of your heart for yoga. Breathe deeply, opening connections to the respiratory system, the digestive system, the circulatory system.

Steve assumes the position

This is only the beginning, but as Mary Poppins would say, “Well begun is half done.” This part takes practice, just like meditation. Return to your breath. Return to a position of openness as you try to save the planet. We are not gods and we are not fiends. We are humans who love the universe, who desire to improve our relationship with every aspect of it.

C’mon People Now; Ev’rybody Get Together

September 22, 2011 by scillagrace

Harambee is a Swahili word that means “all pull together”. Many community organizations use it in their name. I understand this concept very clearly, being the linear thinker that I am. I visualize a load at the end of a rope. The object is to move the load in one direction, so everyone grabs the rope and pulls together in that direction. I would love to figure out how to jump onto that rope line and move the planet back from the brink of disaster. Problem solved, “ta-dah”, now we party. However, our interconnected web of global systems presents a more complicated “load”. If you start pulling in one direction, something else will be effected and will move. How will that effect everything else? That’s something to take into consideration. In fact, the whole thing has to be considered at the same time, holistically. So how do you visualize that? Steve was talking about a gyroscope-type model, with himself as the hub. He mentioned staying balanced and grounded in that center. I thought that sounded rather egocentric, but then he spoke about the Buddhist idea that “no one can be at peace until we’re all at peace”. Then, I visualized a round tabletop that was balanced on top of a ball at the center. With all of life on the tabletop, we would have to arrange ourselves simultaneously and evenly around the table so that it doesn’t tip in any one direction. Nature sort of works like this. Take populations: when one gets too large, the food web makes a sort of correction to bring it back in balance. Human beings are way out of balance on that tabletop. We have tipped everything in our direction; we are way too heavy in many different ways. How do we pull back in toward the center and make room for all the rest of life to be in balance? How do we look at the entire tabletop at once?

Steve has often pointed out to me that I am “not an athlete” (for example, when I’m getting in his way while he’s carrying a heavy box of books). He talks about how really good athletes have a way of anticipating how and where to move in just the right way to be in the right place at the right time. Think of soccer goalies or basketball rebounders. They seem to have eyes in the back of their head or peripheral vision and electromagnetic sensors that enable them to assess the total situation far better than the average person. There’s a grace and an instinct that gives them that special edge over the merely agile and strong. We need to have that kind of sense about our global situation. How do we move to counteract the imbalances in our systems?

I wish I were more of a visionary and that I had an answer for you. I am a freight train in many ways. I pull slowly and persistently, but I’m not the leader you’re looking for. I may be the droid, though. : ) But I believe that leadership is out there. There must be athletes in global perspective somewhere on this planet. Let’s start a forum. Let’s get together to work on sustainability. Let’s balance this tabletop before we all go crashing over the edge.

On track to sustainability

Saving the Planet: a Rational and Emotional Goal

September 20, 2011 by scillagrace

We were going to watch another episode of The Life of Mammals featuring Steve’s hero, David Attenborough. Somehow, despite a huge allergy attack and the resultant stuffed up head, Steve’s critical mind was able to detect something nagging at him. The media, entertainment, and complacency: is this a distraction from what we really want to pursue? Sure, it’s about animals and nature, but is it likely to help us get closer to saving our desperate planet? Are we sinking into a kind of complacency and pacifying our outrage by convincing ourselves that we’re doing the best we can just by appreciating nature through the media? What is the best we can do? How about coming up with solutions to systemic problems? Why would that be impossible? It’s no more impossible than writing a dissertation or an 800 page book on the life of Henry VIII. It takes energy and research and time and focus. That’s all.

Okay, at 9:30pm, I am not up to solving systemic problems, or even thinking about them. I had a headache and a backache, and I started crying. So I took a couple of ibuprofen and suggested we talk about it in the morning.

So, this morning I wake up with this phrase in my head, “If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem.” Well, of course I’m part of the problem. I drive a gasoline-operated vehicle. I contribute to an economic system that is full of gross inequalities. There is plenty on that side of the list. I would like to be part of the solution. I would like to know what the solution is first, though. That seems rational to me. Steve counters that in order to be motivated to find a solution, we need the energy of emotion. My British heritage and upbringing say, “No way. You can’t motivate me by appealing to emotion. I want to be rational. I want to do the right thing for a rational reason.” Is there a rational reason to do the right thing? Why do you want to do something beneficial? Because it’s good to do good. Ah, but that is a tautological argument. Good = Good doesn’t prove anything. It’s like saying, “Because I said so.” Okay, fine. I do want to be part of the solution for an emotional reason. And the minute I say that, I want to back away from it. “Emotion never got anything done; it’s so uncivilized.” Wow, does that sound British or what? Ah, but the energy that comes with emotion can be very useful. Are we ever going to make drastic changes in our destructive trajectory if we don’t get angry or scared or fed up or sad in some way about how things are?

It's not easy being green

Okay, so how about striking a balance and coming up with a both/and approach? Rationally, polluting the planet and alienating ourselves from all life around us through exploitation and indifference is not wise. It may lead to our ultimate destruction. Emotionally, the defacing of the original cathedral of our adoration, all of life, makes me sad, angry and scared. I want to put energy, research, time and focus into finding ways to live differently. Recognizing that “all life” is interconnected, this will involve looking critically at economic systems, ecological systems, biological systems, psychological systems, political systems, sociological systems, philosophical systems, religious systems, etc. A complete overhaul. Why not? What else have I got to do with my life? I could just sit back and be complacent or sneer and be cynical or throw up my hands and despair, but I think I’d rather just get to work. I don’t expect the first attempts will be perfect or even adequate, but we may as well point the canoe and start paddling.

Is this nuts? Is this manic? Is this taking responsibility? What do you think?

The Daily Planet

September 13, 2011 by scillagrace

Awareness, Appreciation, and Action. I have an idea about awareness. Here’s the issue: our culture has gotten so technical and anthropocentric that we are no longer aware of the changes and events of the planet. We live mostly in cities, far removed from wilderness or even farmland and our connection to the earth. We are more aware of Lindsay Lohan’s activity in the fashion world than we are of the seasonal changes happening in the natural world. I get “news” items popping up on my browser all the time about some celebrity and her latest beau or who was seen wearing the same red dress and who wore it better. OMG! Is this news? I don’t think so. What if I could replace all those items with some news about the natural world? What is happening in monarch migration, for example. Or how are various species preparing for the winter? Who hibernates, who sleeps, who migrates, who stays put? And I would want local news for each area. We know so little about our local ecology. What if we had a daily conservation report similar to the Dow Jones? How are soils doing in my area? How is the water and the air? What species became extinct today across the nation? Which species are making a comeback? The Old Farmer’s Almanac is still being published; it covers weather patterns, moon cycles and gardening advice. How many people still read even this much information about the earth? We just had a gorgeous harvest moon last night. How many people in my city know what a “harvest moon” is, and how many do you suppose looked up and noticed it? More to the point: how many care?

An American goldfinch takes his daily echinacea

Caring for our planet is our responsibility. The Bible talks about stewardship, Buddhism talks about respecting all of life. As technology advances, it seems that we develop new and more elaborate ways to abuse and exploit the planet faster than we come up with ways to protect it and safeguard its resources. How backwards is that? Carl Sagan wonders in his Cosmos series if the reason we haven’t been contacted by other intelligent life forms is that once a civilization develops to the point of having the technology necessary for galactic space travel, they have destroyed themselves and their planet in the process. A sobering thought.

I care. I want to be more aware. I appreciate lots and want to know more. Most of all, I want to know what actions I can take to really do something about the care of our planet. I figured education would be a good place to start. Tomorrow I’m off to the Wehr Nature Center to help run a field trip program about insects. What do you know about creatures who “Fly, Flutter and Crawl”? Would that kind of information be more important to you than knowing which celebrity pasta sauces scored highest in a taste test? Just wondering, not judging.

I Heart Wisconsin

September 12, 2011 by scillagrace

I love my weekdays.

I Heart Wisconsin

Being unemployed and self-employed, we get to do what we want. So, if it’s going to be in the 80s for one more day this year, we get to go outside and revel in it. Which we did. We ended up on the Ice Age Trail somewhere near Milton, Wisconsin. There are 2 wildlife refuge areas nearby. Walking is a pleasure. Despite the high temperature, the breeze was cool and dry, especially off the little lake we found. The Ice Age Trail is well maintained, so I could wear shorts without risking poison ivy or thistle scratches. We saw familiar friends: a great blue heron, a red-tailed hawk, frogs, squirrels, chipmunks, spiders, etc. And a black cat on the trail ran from us and into a cornfield, reminding me that Halloween is not too far away. Walking behind Steve “Happy Long Legs”, watching that little bounce in his step, was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. Wisconsin is a great state. Aldo Leopold and John Muir lived here; its beauty is the stuff that fuels naturalists for life. I am truly lucky to be here. Here are a couple of thousand more words about that:

No, that’s not poison ivy, just a kiss before I leave this place. Follow your bliss, people. Why live any other way?

Awareness, Appreciation, Action

September 8, 2011 by scillagrace

Today was Day 2 of volunteer training. Insects and Soil were the topics. Howard, the second staff naturalist, began the day. We went through some background information about the Animal kingdom and where Insects fit in, targeting the 1st grade through 3rd grade audience. Then he sort of stepped outside of the topic to comment on why we teach this stuff. He said that he likes to keep AAA in mind: awareness, appreciation, and action. I understand completely that there is a dearth of awareness about the natural world in our urban youngsters, especially as technology advances and funding for enrichment education is continually cut. They spend more and more time on the computer and less time outside, then they look under a log for the first time and are amazed to find critters living there. Ta-dah! First step. Then comes appreciation. They wonder and want to know more and are fascinated by what there is to learn. Animals, plants, rocks, the solar system, cycles, etc., all inter-dependent and inter-active, details and marvels in abundance. I recognize that my appreciation increases every day and that I have a voracious appetite for more. I want to spend more and more time outdoors, more and more time learning. This is a pretty cool place to be, but it’s not the end. The final step is action. What do we hope for these young people who come to learn about the natural world? What do we hope for the next generation? Well, I raised my hand and ventured, “Responsibility?” because that’s what I hope for myself. I want to take all this awe and love and turn it into decisions that will make a positive impact. This is indeed the toughest part of the trilogy to grasp and embody, and it’s where Steve and I are currently stuck. It’s fine to recycle, buy local food, and support environmental legislation, but is that really going to make a difference? In order to reverse trends and live sustainably, we need to make more progressive and radical life decisions, and we need to implement them in community with others. But where do we begin? How do we find others who are committed to that progress?

How will I respond to this awesome world?

We have a lot of reading material (as you would expect), and Steve is planning to write to some of the authors he’s following: Derrick Jensen, David Orr, David Foreman, etc. He’s looking to start or join a forum or study group of people with similar action goals. I know that often, when I sit and think about how to solve a problem, I end up going nowhere because I’m too much in my head. I find it useful to just get out and do something in that direction, anything, and see if that reveals the next step. That’s why I’m happy to be meeting naturalists and educators. It feels like I’m tracking down a clue. When Howard began talking about action, I got excited. That’s it! That’s where I want to go! I’m hoping that more clues will open up.

Don’t Super-size Me

September 2, 2011 by scillagrace

I attended a leadership conference at a famously successful mega-church in Northern Illinois a few years ago. This church always astounded my small-town Episcopal sensibilities. I remember growing up and going through Sunday school with only one other classmate – the rector’s son. This church has a youth program that has more high-schoolers than a city high school. The “sanctuary” was actually a stage with jumbo screens all around it, two balconies, and seating for, oh, 15,000. Definitely not an Anglican atmosphere. Also, they have a food court and cafeteria. It’s quite a production. During this conference, one of the speakers (who was a missionary to an Asian country that I can’t recall) talked about the American Church’s view of success. He pointed out that it is basically the same as our economic model. On a grid or graph of production over time, our goal is always to go “up and to the right”. Think of your classic board meeting cartoon with a graph on an easel. Sales, attendance, production, whatever, we want to see that arrow climbing up and to the right. That’s progress. And we want it always to go in that direction, with no cap or end point. His point was that in building churches, you build relationships, and there is no “up and to the right” measurement or trend necessary to success. Success can be in another direction entirely, like deeper. I got to thinking that we have adopted that “up and to the right” philosophy across so many categories, and failed to think critically about whether that trend is beneficial or not.

The movie “Zeitgeist Going Forward” addresses the global economy and makes the same point. We keep inflating supply and demand at the peril of our planet, and we make no moves to slow down or stop. Why do we do this? What ever happened to the concept of scale? Who said that ‘bigger’ or ‘more’ is a better value for everything? Think of all the restaurants that you know that serve much more food than you can comfortably eat at one sitting. Think of all the super-stores that you have walked that have more brands of cereal than can be shelved in a 10-foot rack. Think of the buildings and monuments that we erect that are larger than any of the previous decade. Think of the businesses you know that have merged and of the mom-and-pop places of your childhood that have folded. Where do you buy your coffee? Where do you go when you want to buy a toilet plunger? How many TVs did your family have when you were growing up? How many TVs did the next generation of your family have? Or cars? Think of food availability and population. They are always linked in the natural world. When there’s more food for a certain species available, that species always experiences a population boom. Think of mice in a granary. Mice don’t plant and harvest grain, but think if they could. Their population would boom and then they’d work to make more food, and then their population would boom again, etc. A never-ending cycle, if nothing interrupts it. Eventually, the resources are exhausted and the population corrects itself. Wouldn’t the same thing apply to humans? How do we feel when populations in Somalia are dying because of resource scarcity? Is that a tragedy or is that nature correcting an unsustainable trend going “up and to the right”?

I’m not about to say that I have a “correct” approach to any of these issues. I do want to think deeply about the scale of my life, and to adjust it according to changes in my situation in order to achieve balance. For one thing, I now shop and cook for a household of 2 instead of 6. That took me a while to adjust to. I don’t have any closet space here, so I’ve stopped buying clothes. I like that I can walk to an Ace Hardware store that has been in the village for 90 years in the same old building. I don’t even know where the StuffMart is. Steve & I don’t own a TV. Downsizing is really satisfying to me. It feels like a relief. There’s less that I feel I “need” to do and have, and I find myself more involved in things I want to do and have. I feel like my home economy is something that I can sustain, not something that is going to overwhelm me. Right now, I have no debt at all. That’s something I really like.

How do you feel when you see something that is outrageously out of scale? Do you laugh? Do you judge it and get mad? How do you feel about waste? Do you think that you have those reactions because of the way you were raised? What kind of messages did you internalize? Did your mother ever mention starving children in China when she wanted you to eat your vegetables? Did that make sense to you? Where do you see life as abundant? Where do you see life in terms of scarcity? (we’re probably mixed in these attitudes; I don’t want to set up a duality) I like to be frugal in lots of things, but I also buy opera tickets. I like having the responsibility to make these choices. And I’m glad they don’t kick you out of the Lyric if you show up in an outfit from Goodwill.

Dressed up to see "Hair"

P.S. I just logged in to Yahoo news and read that President Obama has stopped the EPA’s proposed regulations on ground-level ozone…in order to allow American industries to go further “up and to the right”. People! Can’t we come up with a less destructive way to live?