It is difficult to find anything you can depend on these days ”“ your house, your job, your retirement, the weather. All seem to be on a new and alarming trajectory. Is this the new normal or something else?
Many believe it is just the tumult caused by the difficulty of getting back to normal after an economic downturn. My take is a bit different. We are experiencing far more than just the end of a severe recession but also the winding down of an age ”“ the Oil Age.
Remember that the Stone Age did not end because they ran out of stones and the Oil Age will not end because the last drop of oil has been pulled out of the ground. We are entering a period of desperation when frantic efforts to replace oil are the order of the day. But much more on that evolving drama in another column.
This discussion will focus on ways to stabilize your life or your business, or both, by getting control of what you can. To be sure it is not in our individual power to stop disruptive events but many people and communities are discovering ways in which they can take control of at least a portion of their lives.
Getting real
Getting a better grip on your life is not just meant to be advice for the unemployed but for many people realizing there are new ways to live. This is a movement that is gaining enormous strength and as such offers economic opportunities for the entrepreneurs who are willing to look at the future with a clear eye, abandoning the yearning for the recently departed high-flying years and getting real about the opportunities ahead. Here is what is already in full swing.
“Locavore,” a word that is rapidly becoming a part of the new lexicon, symbolizes a new, actually very old, way of providing for oneself ”“ growing one”™s own food, supporting local farmers and community gardens, thereby bypassing the current standard of eating food that travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to the dinner table. Just imagine how many miles an apple from Chile, a staple in the Northeast winter, will travel to get to your mouth?
A true locavore determines a parameter in which he will purchase his food. In other words, only food within a predetermined area will be a part of the diet. Needless to say there are plenty of would-be locavores who will be sympathetic to this concept, this writer included, but may not be as rigorous in its execution. Worth looking into though.
Back to basics
I discovered another area of direct control while in the course of making a quilt for my granddaughter for Christmas. Not having sewn for more than 20 years I had not realized how popular home sewing had become. Sales of Bernini Sewing Machines, a fairly pricey brand, are on an upswing. The Hartsdale Fabric Store, where I discovered this, was abuzz with classes teaching people the basics of making their own clothes and other household needs.
On the front page of the Wall Street Journal March 29 I discovered I had something in common with the nation”™s long-haul truck drivers. Having more downtime in this economy many of them have taken up hobbies on the road, one of which is quilt-making. Knitting is also big. Now there”™s an example of getting control of your life!
An ancient strategy for survival is gaining new currency today ”“ barter! With barter clubs and complex systems involving this simple concept the options are many to use barter to gain more control of your life. Some 15 years ago I had an extended experience with barter. A carpenter (and friend) needed a new space for his shop. I needed a dilapidated carriage house restored but had no funds to pull off the substantial job. The solution: The carpenter set up his shop in the carriage house and, in exchange for rent, agreed to restore the building. I paid for the materials while he kept track of his hours on the job. The restoration was completed in five years and we are still friends.
By getting control of your life in all of its facets you will be preparing for the new age while enjoying the process. Just remember those truckers, dreaming of the next quilt design while tooling down the interstate. Makes all things seem possible.
Surviving the Future explores a wide range of subjects to assist businesses in adapting to a new energy age. Maureen Morgan, a transit advocate, is on the board of Federated Conservationists of Westchester. Reach her at maureenmorgan10@verizon.net.
