Benign Neglect

We have such a wonderful world that we live in. The air and water are not really too contaminated. We have the ability to have some beautiful days and magnificent sunsets and such. Sunrises probably as well, but I seldom see those anymore. Not that I am sleeping; simply that the stuff of everyday life keeps me from taking that simple moment to pause and reflect. Another day. Another blessing. Another chance to reach out and touch someone's hand. How is it that we so often do not do these things? What could be so very important that we do not pause? Getting a cup of Joe at Starbuck's?! Rushing around to get to work, to make money that we will spend one something or other that we really do not need. Try as we might, the advertisers suck most of us in. We want bigger homes that we spend less time in; larger cars that insulate us from the world around us; taller office buildings with cubicles and partitions that separate us from each other. The people doing the most sensitive work get the smaller spaces, but age and opportunity abound for each of us to accumulate TIME so that we might one day achieve the same amount of mediocrity that so many of us not-so-secretly despise.

We work so that we can one day enjoy what little life we have left. Some of us contemplate never retiring, simply because we can't afford to do so, whether that be financially or psychologically. I am probably a resident of both camps. Late to marry and then to divorce so I have spent part of the pension on attorney fees and such. Not to worry though as I can't envision not having a reason to rise in the morning...or to stay up all night for. What will this generation's legacy be? Graft. consumerism, pollution, destruction of environment and family? Your guess is as good as mine. The two parties will mudsling and assign blame rather than addressing the issues - it is a way of keeping themselves employed. How many stakeholders and agencies do this dance of we need you and you need us. I often ask myself if I could work myself out of a job in CP. Unfortunately, while a noble goal, I do not see this happening in the "reasonably foreseeable future."

What if we just let all the systems go into benign neglect mode? Would there be a natural correction? What if people stopped polluting the earth today? How long might it take to restore what we have come to think of as equilibrium? Are we anything more than a flea on the back of this dog, anyway?