It's easy to get pessimistic about the future. I think
there is a good and bad side to pessimism: The good side
is that it can keep you on your toes and prepared; however
it can also lead to severe depression if you don't have
hope. I think the economic disasters we are seeing are
largely the result of how Americans have been living, but
eight years of King George have certainly brought about a
quickened demise to life as we've known it. Maybe this is
an opportunity in disguise.
I'm not pleased with our lame Democratic senate either,
and whoever becomes the next President is going to be
inheriting a mess that will take more than a couple terms
to repair. The problems will have to be addressed and
solved by an entire nation changing how they live and what
they expect from life, a redefining of what is "enough"
and what makes them happy. One of the reasons I am voting
for Obama is I think he can instill hope and inspire
people to change at a grassroots level.
I think we will personally get by OK. We are starting a
local food co-op group as a community building effort to
address the local concern over food. This gives us hope.
Has anyone read Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities
and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben? My husband is
reading it and says it's right-on, all about
bio-regionalism. I'll read it next.
"A hopeful manifesto...an inspiring book that shows us not
only the way we need to live, but also the way we should
want to."--Boston Globe
"What makes McKibben's book stand out is the completeness
of his arguments and his real-world approach to
solutions." --USA Today
"McKibben's round-the-world reporting and thoughtful
analysis give great weight to both his warnings and his
prescriptions for change..."--Christian Science Monitor