There is Another Way to Be in the World Without Destroying It - Living Simply

so beautiful, so sad, so true...but there is another way

Living simply in this world isn't always easy or convenient, but it is always necessary. The video above replicates in images what the “Lord Man” parable in the book Overdevelopment Overpopulation Overshoot teaches. The stunning images of what once was in contrast to those of what is, are at once terribly sad and an eloquent reminder that there is 'another way' to be in this world without destroying it. We all could, as some already do, choose to live simply, choose to reject the immorality of materialism, choose to marvel in the beauty of the biosphere we are a part of, choose to reject the culture of consumption, inequality, and the delusion of dominion over our cousins.

Having grownup in the 60's and lived through an earlier era when many disenchanted with the what the Ludda call the 'Machine' realized that there was another way to be and recognizing themselves as part of the miracle, returned to the land. Yesterday i learned that spirit is alive and well at the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri. Dancing Rabbit (DR) is a fully functioning eco-village with around 60 full-time members who live happily on just 10% of the resources the average American consumes.

DR solved the problem of being able to buy good land in a world jam packed with real-estate speculators by forming a Community Land Trust. Because there's so many great things to say about Dancing Rabbit i highly recommend everyone visit their excellent website, learn about their chosen way and maybe become involved in a work exchange or internship there. There is another way to be, in fact there's lots of 'em.

A larger scale example is happening and has been for over 20 years in Chiapas - the Zapatista Movement. Laura Gottesdiener's visit there resulted in her awakening to the Zapatista Way. Laura's excellent expose - 'A Revolution That Won't Go Away' - filled my heart with joy when i read the section about 'Diego, The Boy Who Is Free'

"Diego is part of the first generation of Zapatista children whose births are registered by one of the organization’s own civil judges. In the eyes of his father, he is one of the first fully independent human beings. He was born in Zapatista territory, attends a Zapatista school, lives on unregistered land, and his body is free of pesticides and genetically modified organisms. Adding to his autonomy is the fact that nothing about him -- not his name, weight, eye color, or birth date -- is officially registered with the Mexican government. His family does not receive a peso of government aid, nor does it pay a peso worth of taxes. Not even the name of Diego’s town appears on any official map."

On a much smaller scale, i've done my best to live another way all my life. To live simply, to do my best for my family, my community and the world we all share. To do as i say, to grow my own as much as possible, to work hard every day to create real wealth in the soil in order to do my little part for the health of all - flora, fauna, microbes, minerals, forces and faeries.