Floundering in Complexity

artwork courtesy of David Dees
http://www.deesillustration.com/

The past few weeks have left us in a whirlwind with unexpected and extraordinary circumstances too crazy to write about ….. nonetheless my overall conclusion has been both a deeper understanding of and appreciation for community: community when times are good and when times are bad.

We live in a time when many of us are estranged from our families of origin or don’t even know who our neighbors are. We are distracted - electronic gadgets and blue tubes have displaced real live human to human interactions. It’s no wonder that so many of us feel so disconnected, isolated and confused.

For a long time I have been immersed with ideas of community and have persistently strived to manifest sustainable ways in which to raise my children with others. I can’t say that it has been easy or with minimal effort, but I feel that the concepts that have been floating in my mind are finally starting to take hold in tangible forms.

And it is about time! Because life on our planet is most likely going to become ever more challenging and difficult. Many of us are already feeling the pressure of what is heading our way. We need to be prepared.

In doing so, we not only need to begin thinking about the future in different terms, but we also need to not get overwhelmed when doing so. We need to stay focused and simplify. Get down to basics and prioritize. If we can begin to look at things from his perspective – a proactive approach – then we will have set in motion a pattern of handling things when we need it the most.

The other part is that we need to work together. We need to get back to the basic principals of community where we have a network of people around us that we can lean on in times of need or vice versa.

Our society has purposely facilitated a world where many people today feel entirely alone and unsupported. This is not a natural way for humans to be in the world. Regaining our sense of self and connection to the earth and each other is the challenge of our times.