A New Word

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Oh how I love words, and I recently learned a new word, Protopia. It is a word coined not many years back by a man named Kevin Kelly, a co-founder of Wired magazine. This word relates to a way of being in human society that comes from small thoughtful steps that really help to best anchor better ways of being. Yet from what I understand, it does not denote perfection across the board but is steeped in energies of optimism, hope and trust that as humans we can make the changes needed that benefit all of us.

This concept of Protopia seems to me to be a perfect example of Aristotle’s concept of the Golden Mean, that balance in life of moderation and thoughtful ways. In relation to Protopia, the scales of the balance would achieve that Golden Mean as much as possible.

But if we tip the scales too far in one direction, we may have the aspect of Utopia, a world where everything is perfectly in place, utter perfection. This is what we call the realm of Heaven, one that is really not meant to be in place for humans in this earthly realm.

Now tip the scales in the extreme of the other direction and we have Dystopia, a world of utter chaos. This is the favorite world of our drama spinning, all hope is lost ego, whirling about in endless circles that are the worst of human behaviors. One might call this Hell on earth.

Of course my idealistic, optimistic, rose colored glasses self really likes this idea of Protopia, what a great concept and all that it can create! But my impulsive impatient side says oh, this might take too long. Yet better ways of being don’t happen overnight, if we are truly striving to make these ways of being become second nature. “Patience attains all it strives for”, words from a passage by St. Teresa of Avila.

Is this the perfect solution to all of society’s current ills? Not sure that I want to hand it all over to Protopia but it sure sounds better than Dystopia or even Utopia and maybe we should give it a try.

sunrise at the lake

Climate change, it isn’t just about the weather

A Minnesota lake by my home, ice free on 12/29/2023

It’s such a cliche, talking about the weather whenever there seems to be a lack of topics to discuss. But those of us who have lived many decades in Minnesota just can’t seem to stop talking about the weather from this past winter. Christmas came and went, snow free and temperatures relatively pleasant for winter here. But then it carried on, no snow, unseasonably warm weather, trees budding ahead of schedule. Yet there’s more to it than just an topsy-turvy weather report just about every day. Here in the upper Midwest, winter activities are welcomed with open arms, as well as a source of income for many. It was sad to walk by the local outdoor hockey rink with no ice save for a couple of weeks. And ice fishing tournaments and events got cancelled left and right, my son-in-law and grandsons not very happy campers. And this was the scenario in other states that count on snow and cold in the winter months to provide skiing, snowmobiling and other winter activities.

In a broader sense, the imbalances in our climate affect many other aspects of life here. In the midst of wildfires, record rainfall, and patterns of storms that seem to play out over and over, this touches our homes, our lives we have created in places we love, and cultural ways also.

Another sector of life here on Earth being affected by climate change is agriculture. I’ve taken great notice of certain foods that have gone up in price when I grocery shop. When I research the reasons for these food prices soaring, it often harks back to some weather event that either ruined a crop or is throwing a wrench in the continued production of whatever food item it may be.

And some places on Earth are dealing with water supplies that are drying up or becoming unusable due to increased salinity, factors that can be traced back to the effects of climate change. This also ties into water that is needed for agriculture, once more a factor that increases our food prices and availability.

So what to do? How do we right the imbalances that are playing out in our climate? There are some actions of adaptation that can and are being put into place, but those actions are really just a kind of bandaid. And talk of geoengineering schemes seems to be the quick fix so we can carry on with life as we know it. But that’s the problem, life as we know it needs to change. The continued use of fossil fuels, agriculture being practiced as it has been for decades, deforestation, these and other ways of being will need to be revised if we want a more pleasant, abundant, and healthy world to live in.

Spiritual teachers come from all walks of life

In my never ending quest for good books, I recently discovered that the well known music producer, Rick Rubin, has written a book entitled The Creative Act: A Way Of Being. My assumptions about the content is that it would be all about his journey in the land of music, as a music producer and maybe some stories about all the artists that he has worked with. Well, not quite that at all, as I started to read what I found was more the telling of his spiritual journey, and sharing the wisdoms he has gained along the way.

And who would have thought that someone so steeped in the very down to earth world of the music industry would have such wise words to share about living an enlightened life? My misguided judgments about those deemed “authorities” on such topics went right out the window, as I found myself relating to and resonating with the whole of this book. So much that I ended up buying my own copy and returning the library book I had borrowed.

I applaud Rick Rubin for being brave enough to publicly share his journey, and all he has gained from “waking up” to what is beyond our human selves. In being who he is, well known, respected and having worked in music of many genres, he just might have the advantage to reach through to those who would otherwise not read a work such as this.

It just goes to show that our spiritual teachers can be anyone! A book about living from higher consciousness does not have to be written by only those we might label as spiritual “gurus”. We can all be spiritual gurus and isn’t that what we should be striving for? Not perfection but being so much better. And in that sense, this book helps to show how we can better tap into the creative selves that we all are, letting go of any misguided notions that creativity has a strict definition, it truly doesn’t as Rick Rubin so wisely shares with us. We are all amazing creative beings…

The importance of frozen regions

I recently read a good book, entitled A World Without Ice by Henry Pollack. The subject matter was just as the title says, imagining a world without ice due to the fast and furious melting of the Earth’s polar regions. Will it come to that, a world without ice?

It’s hard to say if our world will come to that, even with the predictive abilities of advanced climate modeling. It has happened before on Earth, a time of no frozen regions like we have now. But this occurred many thousands, even millions of years ago. And the difference between those eras of ice age shifting to ice free is the evolution of those changes took place very slowly and without any human influence. But now we see a rapid change in the polar regions that is artificially taking place, not the slower natural course it would normally be.

For most of us who live many miles from the poles, those frozen places seem quite inert and not a concern. But as I learned from this book, the Arctic and Antarctic regions play a very important and significant role in the balance of life of Earth in a healthy way for all of us, not just humans either. Those important polar effects range from how our climate is all over the Earth, to the way that ocean currents are meant to help balance things, to the important balance and flow of our atmosphere.

So maybe it’s time for us humans to wake up and pay more attention to the extreme importance of ice at the poles, because a world without ice would be a world we don’t want to or maybe could not even inhabit.

A winter scene in Minnesota

Paying it forward, a second time

In this world of so much stuff out there, I try not to get pulled into buying this or that next great thing. But after careful research, opinions from others and consideration, I am now the proud owner of many colorful and comfortable Bombas socks.

Now this is not a promo for their product, as much as I love these socks. But rather a story about some great customer service and very great mission statement. You see, for every Bombas item purchased, this company pays it forward and donates the same item to a non-profit. I’ll admit, that swayed my decision to purchase these yes, rather costly socks.

And I recently had a chance to test out their replacement policy, a no matter what happened we will replace your item. So after doing laundry one day and finding only one yellow sock, let’s see if they walk their talk. And they do! I wrote about my dilemma and was happily and quickly sent a pair of replacement socks, wow!

Well the other day as I put on a pair of pants, out pops the missing yellow sock, of course! And in my mailbox was the brand new replacement pair, hmmm, what to do? Do I keep an extra pair of socks I really don’t need?

No, I decided in that moment to follow the Bombas example and pay it forward. Our local coffee shop has a donation box for items that go to young people needing a bit of help, new clothing, toiletries, that kind of stuff. So I shared and payed it forward and now I once more have a complete pair of bright and beautiful yellow Bombas once more. And hopefully some lovely young person will enjoy their pair of socks as much as I do.

It’s an uphill climb, but we can do this!

Now that we have come to accept the reality that is climate change, what are we going to do about it? The general concensus from climate scientists is that we need to urgently start cutting our carbon emissions, that adding any more “fuel to the fire” that is global warming will end up creating a world that is near catastrophic – as if it doesn’t feel like that right now. And it is agreed upon that the most effective way of cutting those carbon emissions is changing our energy sources from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

Yes, in light of our ways of life that are very dependent on these fossil fuel ways, it will require massive changes in the way we live. It almost seems like a Herculean task, reconfiguring so many ways of life, that we might ask, can it even be done?

I’d have to say yes, this absolutely can be done, even though it may seem like an uphill climb. As humans we are blessed with the gift of intelligence that has allowed us to live and prosper and advance since the days of the first human life on Earth.

Just think about all the advances made by people in the 20th century. Things like automobiles, telephones, electricity available for everyone, modern day appliances, computers – the list goes on and on! But I can say with confidence that some of those changes that we now take for granted as conveniences of everyday life were not met with great enthusiasm, despite making our lives so much better in so many ways. I recall reading a book about the early days of the automobile, and the idea of cars taking the place of horse and buggy seemed far fetched and not so well received! But wiser heads prevailed and these days the thought of a world with horse drawn transportation only sounds quite terrible and inefficient.

So here we are at a crossroads of change, and this time it is not so much a change for the betterment of our daily lives but rather a change to keep our planet habitable for humans. The truth is that the Earth itself will make it through even if we keep on, business as usual, the fossil fuel ways. And the writing really is on the wall, if we don’t start to make the change from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, this world just might see the sixth extinction and that extinction will be the human species.

Weather, not just about our personal comfort

If you’re like most people, you check the daily weather and maybe even days beyond, to determine a personal level of comfort. You probably think about what to wear, what activities might be best, how to navigate your life so it feels the very best.

But the weather which is a day to day aspect, and the climate which is a long term aspect of weather, are ways of being on this planet that are not just about seeing to our personal comforts. The weather and climate affect the water sources we use, the food we eat, the places that we choose to live.

As climate change becomes more and more devastating we are seeing how what once was a concern only for our individual selves now must shift to a concern for the global community.

In regard to our precious water supply, there are many who are finding a lack of water due to droughts that are carrying on year after year. There are also those whose supply of what was once clean, safe water are finding that sea level rise is contaminating their water sources, making them unusable. And as far as sea level rise, this devastating effect of climate change is forcing many to look ahead to the sad possibility of finding new places to live.

And of course the weather is so important to agriculture, to the ability to grow food and provide what is absolutely essential for the human body to function. We often take for granted how important the weather and climate are for those farming the land and providing our food. It’s far too easy to make our way to the grocery store and all that we need is right there. But with the changes ensuing that are climate change, it becomes apparent that we need to be aware of how to make changes in agriculture that will assure our food sources are always there for us.

Recently a new bill has been introduced, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes provisions for working on climate change and how to both adapt and mitigate. This important act of legislation is what we so desperately need to turn things around and get things back in balance. The longer we sit on the fence and do nothing, the worse it gets – and sadly far too many are living out the worst of it in tragic ways.

So the best way to help in all of this is to write or call your state senators, and ask for their support of this newest bill that is on the table. And it’s so easy!! Just go to the website senate.gov and click on where it says “senators” and then in the drop down box click on the “contact” tab. Then find your state and the officials to contact will come up, along with the contact information. We need to take action with our voices being heard, and as important as individual actions are well we really need the support and policies in place that come from our governments. Let’s step up and work together to make our world a much healthier and happier place.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Oregon

Comparative suffering, hard to avoid these days

I recently read an article from highlysensitiverefuge.com that talked about the trap that many highly sensitive individuals may fall into, comparative suffering. This is when we compare our trials and tribulations with those of others. Sometimes it may lead to judgments, such as oh I’ve got it so much worse than you. But for the sensitive soul it may lead to guilt, feeling that the suffering one is going through is not valid or worthy of our attention. And yes, I’ve found myself in that guilt strewn place at times, not validating my own pain.

But lately I can’t help but feel that anything adverse I may be going through is so minimal compared to what others are experiencing due to climate change. Day after day I see the images of the wildfires burning much of Europe to ash, or hoards of people at the beaches in Britain as temperatures rise to extremes that have never been felt before. Our world is being destroyed right before our eyes. So how can I not compare any suffering I have to what so many are going through in such difficult ways?

And I wonder, when are we going to really start doing something about this? I do see changes that have come about, companies making strides to reduce their carbon output, individuals speaking out and imploring us to make the changes needed to avoid catastrophe. There is reason for hope.

But we truly need more, we need our leaders in government to put legislation in place that demands the fulfillment of promises and actions to get our carbon emissions done to zero. And as individuals we take the time to find those leaders who will do this and we vote them into office. So do your part and vote!!

As I get older, I see the writing on the wall for the remainder of my lifetime, learning to adapt to what is our world now of much warmer and so uncertain weather wise. Even with the lessening of carbon emissions, the carbon in the atmosphere at present time will take years to burn off, a gradual process. But let’s not forget those to follow, our kids and grandkids and beyond, that we work to leave them a much better place to live.

pretty trees in Portland along the Willamette River

It’s really not about the weapon

I do not care for guns. When I was married, we had a handgun in our home, supposedly for “protection”. But I always felt it could end up hurting or killing one of us inadvertently.

But with that said, I do respect what a gun is for many people, used in ways that are not intent on shooting people. I live in a place where many people enjoy responsible gun use, be it hunting or something like skeet shooting. The gun itself is not an evil object.

So it seems to me, in this sad time of mass shootings all over the place, it is the one who is wielding the weapon that really becomes the issue.

Yes, we most certainly need to rewrite our gun control laws, a big step in all of this. But even more so, we need to have more focus on mental health issues that need to be addressed before they escalate into what we’re seeing play out lately. Subtle cries for help need to be recognized and addressed, not ignored or pushed under the rug.

This is so evident in regard to the latest shooting that took place on the 4th of July in Highland Park. The shooter had given many clues to needing help with issues that plagued him. And sadly, we come to discover that he had a previous plan for another killing spree, but this time with knives, not guns. And in light of that, it’s really not about the weapon, is it.

Out west, climate change extremes play out

California wildfire/ credit CCO Public Domain

Rainy view of Seattle/ credit MyNorthwest.com

There’s no question about it any longer, climate change is upon us, rearing its big ugly head. And it seems that the west coast of the United States is experiencing the effects from one end of the spectrum to the other.

As summer kicks in, extreme drought persists, and the wildfires that now seem to be year round rather than seasonal have come with a vengeance. And California seems to be taking the brunt of this.

But moving north from California up the west coast, a different weather pattern is playing out. Record amounts of rainfall have been recorded in the Pacific Northwest, from Oregon to British Columbia. And it only looks to intensify, as a recent report of an atmopheric river of moisture is settling in over already rain soaked regions.

This is what climate change is now, patterns of extremes, in frequency and intensity. Yes, the Earth in its life thus far has had many eras of what we could call climate change. But they have occurred over very long periods of time, rather than the short span of our present day climate change, only since the mid 1800’s and the Industrial Revolution.

So once again we need to decide, will we let these extreme weather events become our new normal? We have the ideas, innovations and solutions to stop what seems to be a runaway train. Let’s all do our part in the ways we live and even better, let’s make our voices and concerns heard as we elect officials who will address an extremely important issue. Let’s focus and work on taking care of our beautiful home and all the inhabitants now and those to follow.

Forest Park, Portland, Oregon