Is this the year that we begin to appreciate our precious Earth? As the polar ice caps shrink, deserts expand and weather becomes more unpredictable, is this the year we start caring for our earthly home so that it will continue to care for us?
Is this the year we realize that globalization doesn”™t just mean a way to make more money, but may incur an obligation toward our extended global family? The uproar in Copenhagen suggests we have a long way to go.
Is this the year we rediscover our own community, meaning those who live in our zip code? The buzzword for those who write about the future is “relocalize” ”“ support local businesses ”“ they are the ones that help keep taxes in line. Local organizations help maintain the quality of life we love. We need to support them.
Is this the year we rediscover that bicycle in the basement? Maybe we could use the bike to get that bottle of milk or even ride it to work one day? More bikes are sold in the U.S. every year than cars. They need to be ridden more.
Is this the year we help our school children get more exercise by offering to conduct a walking school bus? An Australian idea that is catching on here, it involves gathering the neighborhood children together and then, companied by a willing neighbor, the ad hoc school bus walks to school. There is an economic benefit, a health benefit and a social benefit for the entire community in this unique proposal. It might even be fun.
Is this the year we start our own vegetable garden, compost our leaves and support community gardens and local farms? Given the severe drought in California, where 25 percent of our fruits, vegetables and nuts are grown, growing our own food, in the backyard or in local farms should be a no-brainer. Composted leaves can enhance that new garden and reduce the cost of picking them up.
Is this the year we learn to make things with our hands instead of overdeveloping our thumbs in order to move words through cyberspace? Many people are rediscovering the joy of crafts, quilt-making and the wood shop, the intense satisfaction of controlling a project from start to finish pulling people back to these basic skills.
Is this the year we rediscover the arts? The Great Depression produced the most exuberant decade of creativity ever seen in this country. Breakthroughs occurred in all the arts ”“ architecture (Frank Lloyd Wright), dance (Martha Graham), photography (Ansel Adams, Barbara Morgan), fine arts (Picasso and many more), the performing arts (Jerome Kern and many more) and movies (“Gone with the Wind”). When money was the most difficult to find, creativity could not be contained and new ways to express the human condition burst forth in the toughest times. It would seem the time is right for another arts breakthrough.
Here”™s another subject to think about. Is this the year we get real about how we are going to retire? Instead of an unaffordable retirement complex where the days are planned by others, how about looking at NORC ”“ a naturally occurring retirement community? Those are small groups of people, siblings, neighbors or friends who are comfortable together planning their own version of living as they age, some still employed but secure in a small, caring community. It would be a lot cheaper and probably a lot more fun. New York state can even provide some tax breaks.
This column has sought to introduce ways in which we can regain even a little bit of control over our lives at a time when uncertainty is the order of the day. Can it really be true that one in 10 Americans are unemployed, the ultimate in uncertainties? It may be time to rethink the American Dream.
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.