FOR SOME REASON, WHENEVER YOU SAY TO PEOPLE that our civilization is heading into the recycle bin of history, that our complex, interconnected, modern globalized world economy is unsustainable, and is entering the early stages of collapse, they tend to nod politely and move on. Gosh! Darn it! Why won't they listen?
The other day I was at the library, and I was watching a young man outside the
main door. He was clutching something in his hand and waving his arms about as
he spoke to two women leaving the building. At first, I wasn’t sure what was
going on; I was too far away to hear what he was saying. Then I realized he
was preaching to them and holding a bible in his hand. Apparently his messaging
wasn’t very effectively, as the two listened politely, smiled, and then moved
on.
Earlier, I had seen another young man standing at
the library door. He stood off to one side, long hair beneath his cap waving
slightly in the late spring breeze. He wore a sweater and had a 'Scandinavian-cast'
about him, and I thought he was waiting for someone, until I realized he was
just lost. The two were all but invisible to passersby.
I guess what I'm trying to say, clumsily,
is--that's our world in a nut shell. I mean no disrespect to people suffering
from mental disorders, but it’s a crazy situation we’re in at the moment. On
the one hand, there are those who shout and preach their hearts out about everything that is going
wrong on our the planet, from plastics in our oceans, to melting glaciers and
raging forest fires, to wars and growing economic disparity, to the shrinking
coffers of governments and the ‘shiny-seat’ quality of today's politicians, just
to touch the tip of the iceberg. On the
other hand, there are those (most of us, really), who are silent, confused and
at a loss for words.
So, how do we parse these modern times?
How do we find our way between* the noise and the silence? And I will admit
that one of my bad habits is preaching. (Perhaps I should join that fellow
outside the library!) I tend to lay out my arguments, and then fold my arms, smugly
satisfied that everyone will understand
and act accordingly. A good number of the poems I write have themes about what happens
when pride or arrogance or hubris enter our lives, so I will try to avoid those
pratfalls if I can; I’ll try to leave them at the door.
This is my first post on the subject, and I
guess I’ll call it "Decline and Fall". I will try not to preach, but
neither will I remain silent.
To prep readers and future digital archaeologists who may uncover and decode ancient computer
files,
I’d like to quote a writer who has greatly influenced my thinking over the
years, John Michael Greer from his book, The Retro Future. In his
introduction he says:
"Most people in the industrial world believe that
the future is, by definition, supposed to be better than the past, that growth
is normal and contraction is not, that newer technologies are superior to older
ones, and that the replacement of simple technologies by complex ones is as
unstoppable as it is beneficent. That’s the bedrock of contemporary faith in
progress. This faith remains unchallenged by most people today, even though the
evidence of our everyday lives contradicts it at every turn."
Cheers, Jake
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| Cheers! |
*I know there are many who reject the over-heated and often politically motivated 'call to arms' of this or that group or political party, and instead work independently, sometimes under the radar, towards finding solutions and ways of living that will address the difficult and changing circumstances we all face in the coming years. I will try to talk about some of these ideas in future posts.
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