Snow Cold And comfort

There is a feeling that although fleeting we all should have the experience of. That is the feeling of comfort having set aside all the toils and troubles of the world knowing that at least for the moment the wood is stacked, the pantry is full, all the family is safe and well, warm and snug asleep, home for a holiday, and all the little things that cause stress in our lives have been put to rest for the moment. So rare and precious are the moments like this I reflect on what if and find great compassion for people who have fewer moments of comfort than I.

 Today there is an obvious disconnect between the social nature of humanity and the present society built upon consumerism and capitalism. There is an emphasis on the individual, on personal gain through the status of possessions, and the gathering of wealth, which has us focusing most of our time on working to gain rather than on working on nurturing and husbandry of our children or our planet. This lack of attention to the most important of things is caused by a disconnect from our world, and each other, by an industrial environment that in the name of comfort and convenience allows us to isolate ourselves. Our isolation allows us ignore that which we are no longer daily exposed to. This disconnect with each other and our world has us focused on things which in the long term have us lacking any focus what we as a species relied upon to get us where we are.This disconnect if not repaired could destroy humanity utterly through our ignorance.We need to once again bring into our lives the emotion and connectedness that fosters and and promotes the humanity we enshrine in our teachings and writings purporting wisdom.

The social nature of humanity has been changing due to our ever present desire to control our environment.
Unfortunately the resulting disregard for our fellows and our world has had an obvious impact in every aspect of our exsistance. Some of the qualities of humanity that we have elevated and prize as virtuous and righteous, are in dire short supply. Compassion, Tolerance, Civility, and a willingness to listen and understand are among these qualities.

Compassion, understanding, and tolerance does not exclude ones self from personal turmoil, nor does it necessarily promote a Utopian world of peace and prosperity. The embrace of our variety and vibrancy, our difference and similarity, will no doubt, foster a better world but disagreement and conflict has also been something human. The civility to listen and attempt an understanding is the missing ingredient. The most important issue though is what our children become. By paying close attention, by being involved, and by taking time to hold and comfort as well as to personally educate our children we promote the thoughts, understanding, and compassion that will make humanity's next face in our world. Education is not about Reading Writing an Arithmetic alone. We cannot forget that to be human is to remember our past and tell our stories and share our experiences. To be human is to belong to our family group, our tribe, our nation, and our world. What would ignorance of our world and the others on the planet we share promote? Will the next generation ignore civility and social interaction except through electronic avatars?  Do we no longer teach our children to listen to the stories told by our elders and to think for themselves and ask politely to understan?. We desperately need to teach each other how to be the social beings we have forgotten we are.

Time flys by!

It has been over a month since I have had time to sit and compose a few thoughts. November is almost over and the last leaves are being carried off  with the chill winds whipping through the barn stalls. It is the time of year when the mornings are frozen and the afternoons are too warm for a coat. The oiling of the exterior woodwork  has only been perhaps half completed, and other projects at home and at work are in suspended animation.  The largest project I've ever been part of directing has consumed a major portion of my time. I have been setting the stage and educating the major participants for the better part of the last ten years to reach this point and the plans and projects related to the core goals are all reaching toward completion.  I hope this portion of the project will soon reach a plateau and we can back off the constant fire tending needed for this type of major change to continue momentum.

There is a sense of urgency that has not existed before in my work place. Driven by bad times financially, the need to consolidate resources and more cooperatively manage things has become a necessity instead of simply common sense. I find it strange how we ignore the obvious when the ignorance has few consequences personally, politically, or financially. Then when the hurt hits home we are suddenly twice motivated to make the pain go away. Why does it take disaster and catastrophe to motivate an obviously beneficial change?