Changes
I dropped by the bulk food store to get some supplies for baking. I have cut back on spending and needed bread supplies, bread being much cheaper to make yourself than to buy. I can do about four loaves for the price of one. A deal. Against the wishes of Shell oil and others, I have cut back on the use of plastic bags and paper, too. That is my gift to the future, since the world is nearly afloat on plastic and other rubbish. We can’t go on, no matter what the creepy people in government and business tell us. The poor little creatures are stretched out half dead on the beach, trying to breathe. Without them, what would we do? Eat money? The bushes and trees and other green things are gasping as well.
Save, save, save is the mantra and I chant it every day, now. Save the earth, save time running around, save money. Funny, the money saving is more so that I can burn up fossil fuel carrying my carcass down south again next year. I am altruistic to a point, at which I am not selfless anymore. I want to fly to Mexico, I can fly to Mexico, so I will. I am complicated. We are complicated, all of us. We want to save and we want to do the right thing but I am not certain we can save ourselves. Saving ourselves will take a lot of changing around and we are busy living.
There is a guy here at the office who is really not saving. He is using up his voice by talking very loudly about personal business things. He is not saving the important stuff for a later, private time. He will end up like Harry Belafonte or Julie Andrews and not be able to sing someday. He is using electricity and magnetic waves along with high level sound waves to do nothing important. I am using electricity as well. His work is transient and so is mine. It means nothing and costs our island home an awful lot. I can change myself and do the right thing if I try super hard. I can do it if I choose. The thing I cannot do, is to tell someone else to save, to make them save. I can’t tell that guy to shut up and turn off his devices. That won’t work. Choosing the right thing for someone else is not an option. Even in religion. Most specifically, in religion. In fact, religion proves my point. The right wing sects, factions, divisions all try hard to MAKE people do what THE GOOD BOOKS say.
Does that help? No. People just do what they can do and want to do. They might feel a twinge of guilty but they do what they choose to do. We have inertia. We have the way things are done working against us and we have to choose. Will we? Will we choose for ourselves the better way?
Maybe, maybe not. I am not hopeful when I see egregious behaviour that is, or was at one time, acceptable in society, in the world. Pete Seeger said something about being hopeful for the world but doubtful at the same time. Sigh. He was a smart, strong, righteous person. I respect him always. He probably had a Wendy’s hamburger once or twice. He drove a car, used a gas powered chain saw and flew to the gigs. I forgive him. I forgive Greta for flying about the world, crying out loud and pointing fingers. Somebody needs to remind us. We are complicated but forgiven and we should try. Try for your own sake…do your best.
It is possible that we are locked into being human and foolish. Maybe, as all the great human societies have done, we are facing our extinction. Maybe we are predestined to that. Who knows? I drove to the office, had a bagel and tea because I wanted it today. Uhoh.
Jesus, my bad!
Robert On The Air 