The parent entry [1] to this one was bloody depressing. I'll
be the first to admit that. Never the less, it's what I
believe to be true. I've held that perspective for months
now. It was only very recently that I started fleshing out a
rationalle that will let me move forward under those
conditions. While my thoughts are usually less than
perfectly formed, I will warn you dear reader that the ideas
contained herein are even more of a jumble - but their flux
is what I have to work with at the moment so here goes...
Some important landmarks as I begin my journey:
* H. Sapiens (meaning simply our genes) may survive the
Greatest Dying in sufficient numbers to be viable, but we
may not know this for sure until it's too late to matter.
* We must recognize the myth of Nature. Even the word
implies that we are somehow seperate from it and can
observe it and manipulate it like it some distinct thing.
It is not. The conceptualization of nature as 'the other'
is false.
* We must recognize our shared personhood. We must bravely
face the things that arbitrarily devide us spiritually
(Racism) and physically (Borders) and grind them into the
dust. Both are born in Fear of the Other.
Will we survive or do we walk into the night?
It matters not.
If we are to survive my duty is to Support & Nurture.
If we are to perish my responsibility is to Aid & Comfort.
These pairs of ideas run paralell. I've chosen different
words for effect alone. Nurturing or Comforting is how we
strengthen our souls and whether the earth becomes a canvas
of new possibilities or a charnal house my duty is the same.
I must learn to be a better listener and more empathic.
These are the key skills of the greatest spiritualists,
psychologists, bar tenders and whores. Their strength and
their value lies in their ability to help others identify
and harness their better natures and determination. I have
to master this.
While we're busy mastering the arts of Comfort in our
hearts, our brains and hands will be busy Aiding and
Supporting. These things are technichal skills. Identify,
learn, and master a Core Function. Medicine, Cooking,
Agriculture, Hunting, Smithing, etc. Make sure there's
something in your portfolio that will make lives materially
better.
Learn to Work Without.
A tool's post-appocalyptic reliability is inversely
proportional to how many subsystems it is comprised of... A
computer or car will be rendered useless long before a human
powered lawn mower or hand turned sausage grinder and these
long before a hammer or wheel barrow.
Finally, Learn to Accept Your Suffering and Death.
Even the most priviledged person alive today will die,
likely suffering in the bargain. But today I am not
suffering nor staring death in the face. I have things to
learn and people to comfort. I'll say goodby then.
