Thursday, November 24, 2016

MISSING THE MARK FOR THANKSGIVING

Gotta admit I was disappointed in the Thanksgiving messages from both President Obama and Donald Trump. 

With our hosts for the first Thanksgiving—Native Americans—camping in below freezing temperatures to protect clean water and restore our Earth, what a missed opportunity to show deep integrity and passionate stewardship for the planet that is our home. 

A missed opportunity to truly repay those indigenous people who welcomed starving, homeless immigrants and showed them how to survive. I am deeply saddened that welcome was “repaid” in the ugliest of ways.

Today, the issue of how Native People were treated has come up to be recognized. To be corrected. To start healing centuries of broken treaties and heinous treatment. To say, “Our ancestors were wrong and we are deeply sorry.” To truly step into being people of integrity. To keep our promises. To begin a new era of appreciation for other cultures and traditions, and abundance for everyone who chooses it.

That may sound very high-falutin’, but there’s also a practical side. The resources currently being used to “contain” the Native People protecting the water and the Earth could be used to rebuild. We can incorporate technology with native wisdom to build homes that take advantage of solar or wind power or other energy that does not destroy our environment. We can use the ideas from permaculture demonstration sites to grow food and plant renewable forests and restore soils. 

And why not extend this thinking to our entire country? The “clean” technology is available now that can provide jobs and also take care of the Earth on which we live. 

—Check out the announcement from Tesla about solar glass roofing tiles. Brilliant and beautiful! <https://www.tesla.com/solar>. You can also ogle the pricey electric car that’s faster than a Corvette if that’s your style. 

—Check out permaculture—permanent agriculture. This can be as simple as growing a tomato plant in your apartment or restoring acres and acres of worn-out land. I am finishing up a four-week, FREE Intro to Permaculture at Oregon State University. Lots of great information! However, if you want to learn more about permaculture right now from one of the gurus himself, Geoff Lawton, check out this series of nine FREE videos <http://start.geofflawtononline.com>. 

—How about a wind turbine that looks like a tree? <http://www.iflscience.com/technology/new-wind-turbine-looks-tree-coming-paris/>

Those are just three innovations. How many more can you find? 

We don’t have to wish for the “good old days,” which weren’t so good for some of us. What if those days established an expectation that was unrealistic and not sustainable? That has led to the strife and chaos and crumbling systems we are now experiencing?

But perhaps those days also gave us the creativity and strength to build an abundant world that’s grounded in taking care of each other and a feeling of safety for all of us.

So although I’m disappointed in the messages of certain elected leaders, we don’t have to wait for someone to save us or to change our lives. 

As with integrity, each of us can choose how we want to live. We can educate ourselves and take action. 

The opportunity is here. The opportunity is now.


How will you choose? 

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