So, Poke the Worm Already

My nudgy friend Bill regards posts like the previous one with some disdain or at least, ‘it-ain’t-enough’ disapproval. He never lets me off the hook. He believes it isn’t fair to just vent. It’s not enough just to hang your opinions out on the line like soiled laundry, you’ve gotta have some positive suggestions. What kinds of things should someone do to counteract the current conditions, and perhaps lay the ground work for something fresh and new to emerge?

In that spirit, here’s a short list, though it’s just a beginning:

1- Grow something, anything. Preferably grow something you can eat, but growing anything is a good first step. Ideally you should start something from seed, but that isn’t necessary. Seeds are like prayers, or good thoughts. Once you plant them they have an innate urge to grow and proliferate. They require some nurturing and attention, but with time you can make them flourish. Plus, with seeds there is always the magical moment of seeing the leaves emerge from the soil and flex towards the sunlight. If you’re comfortable with a bigger move, start a garden or help someone out with theirs. There’s nothing quite as invigorating as the fragrance of moist warm soil on a fresh Spring morning!

2- Turn off the TV and READ! Here’s a short list of authors that will/can provide some information and/or inspiration. Not all of them are readily available; not all of them are positive tonics. To stoke your worries but open your thinking: Derrick Jensen, Richard Heinberg, Joe Bageant, Jim Kunstler To explore some new ways of looking at the world: Daniel Quinn, Alan Watts, Rob Hopkins, Sharon Astyk, Gene Logsdon, Kirkpatrick Sale, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Wendell Berry – probably start with him.

3- Learn how to cook. This is a skill everyone can use and share.

4- Repair or recondition something -- A bicycle, a wheelbarrow, a chair.

5- Make something by hand. A wooden spoon, for example. Just try carving one and you'll discover just how rewarding working with your hands can be.

6- Give something away. It has to be something you like and something that is useful, not a piece of junk.

7- Consume less. Yeah, I know, everyone says this and for most of us it is a reality anyway these days. In some, but no means all instances, you can reduce the pain by making your choices more conscious and deliberate. From energy to water to gadgets to clothing making conscious choices about what and how you ‘consume’ helps to make those choices not only less wrenching, but actually fulfilling. I know you may not believe it but it’s true.

8- Buy used whenever possible; you can’t exist without some consumption after all. Even better than used, is free. Join ‘Freecycle’ in your community and ask for what you need. If there isn’t a freecycle group nearby, go here -- to find out how you can start one.

9- Consider starting a Transition Initiative in your community. Go to this website for more information: http://transitionculture.org. If that seems like an insurmountable task, start small and organize some REGULAR potluck meals with some like-minded folks. You can probably find quite a few souls wandering around who share your concerns but feel powerless or at least stymied. You can use ‘Meetup’ (just a Google click away) or similar sites on line. Church congregations can be another good place to look.

10- When you shop, shop at locally owned and operated stores. Support the merchants in your own community. Going to BBS (Big Box Stores) may save you money, but BBS don’t tend to keep much, if any, of their profit money in the local community. Worst of all, they are relentless predators and muscle smaller retailers out of business. Not only that, if you have to drive more than 10 miles one way to a BBS, you may not be saving any significant amount of money any way, at least not on small to medium purchases. Moreover, you will be adding CO2 and other pollutants to the environment as well as putting wear and tear on your car.

11- Form a shopping pool. When you must go shopping, try as often as possible to buddy up with someone you know who is likely to be wanting or needing to go on a similar errand. It may add a little extra time but it will pay you back major social dividends and save some money too.

12- Go find a vernal pond and listen to the peepers for about half an hour.

Addendum to the previous post: It is actually important to Immerse yourself in all your dark fantasies about the present and the future. If you don’t explore that side, it will just keep infecting your thoughts. Don’t just ignore and push away the despair, frustration and fear. It’s there and it’s real. But it doesn’t have to run you all the time. Then try to envision a fresh future that has in it only those things that truly fulfill you. What would that look like? How would it feel? Go on, run with it. Envision away!

This is just a starter list. Add to it whatever works for you.