North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Donna &/or Kieran" <holycow@cookeville.com>]

Charlie wrote:   if only our problem was just the shortcomings of the guy at the top.

  

But that's just it.  If only the guys at the top would ever say something like, "Folks, it would be a really great thing, good for the country and for you personally as well, if Americans would quit being so wasteful."  and they could talk about how taking money and burning it (in the form of oil) or throwing it away (in the form pf plastic made from oil) is not good economics.  They might also point out that people who live on junk food are going to cost the public money when they get decrepit, not to mention that being decrepit is no fun.  (Cargill wouldn't like THAT!)  Or we might have some little lessons on economics like how many times a dollar circulates in your community or your country before it leaves can make your whole country richer or poorer.   Or how paying people to dig holes and fill them up again depletes the average wealth of the whole country.  The survivalist nutcase I met said, "you can't ask Americans to give up their lifestyle!"  But in fact, Americans are NOT really enjoying their lifestyle very much.  I think we rank 20th in happiness surveys.  Bangladesh ranks first in happiness, probably pretty low in wealth. 

    I remember an article I read about a family that got into rose growing.  They'd been quite well to do and hung out in all the best circles.  Then one offspring brought home a tiny rosebush she'd gotten in school, and their whole lives transformed.  They had to buy a house with a bigger yard for one thing.  One of the parents said, We thought we were having a good time before that, but I realize now that what we thought was fun was just excitement. Growing roses really taught us how to live. 

    I think each and every one of us in this group prefers the slower, simpler joys of growing things to the time we have to spend in the rat race.  Let's not clutter the list up with a show of hands, but just ask yourself, which do I prefer, time in my orchard or garden, or time shopping?  (For polling purposes, let us assume that this is time not spent shopping for plants or garden tools.) 

    But as Candide said,  All that philosophy is all very well, but let us cultivate our garden. 

                                          Donna