Resonance, Respect, and the Existence of Greatness

Yesterday, I heard a segment on NPR about Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney's song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" It was on a series only sporadically run called What Makes It Great, and so the song was discussed by a composer/author/musician in terms of why this song out of so many still carries such a powerful message and remains fixed in our collective awareness as an "anthem" that reverberates forward.

Not only was the analysis fascinating and enlightening, but it also was a great segment that connected the themes of depression-era worry and loss with the current economic anxieties experienced today. Although we're not in the same place we were then, certain themes within the song easily parallel aspects of today's financial mess.

If you have time, listen to the story - if only to hear Daniel Shorr's rendition of the song, which is poignant and simple. And be sure to listen to Yip Harburg's rendition (listed among the variations along the left-hand side), which is strikingly powerful and further aids in understanding the song's origins and emotional message.

Harburg and Gorey underscored the need for social action and justice during the hardships of the Depression. Their hope was to call for greater awareness of the need to help one's fellow man, and the reality of a shared suffering in the aftermath of Americans' industrial, creative, and patriotic expression and movement through the early 1900s.

It reminded me, very strongly, of all the commentary surrounding Obama's supposed "socialist" agenda. I still don't quite understand an ideology that does not protect, encourage, and support every member of society. And it seems some Ameicans seem to truly fear anything that hints of socialism... and yet, why in the world would we not seek to be a nation wherein every individual feels like an equal member?

And so the message in this song... that I have built, I have fought, I have struggled... and now I'm being forgotten - the entreaty for human response and shared responsibility is what echoes forward to me. Perhaps what resonates so strongly is the request for recognition and dignity on a very basic, human level... which we likely all can understand.

the albatross : the phoenix :: despair :

This morning, NPR did a story on the current state of the economic crisis in Zimbabwe. I have found, in the last several weeks, it is important to remember relativity when worrying about life... no matter what we may think our troubles are at the moment, there is always someone in greater need who requires even more compassion.

I have been out of the news loop for a bit since our morning routine has shifted slightly, so it had been a while since I had heard an update on Zimbabwe. Today I learned it is struggling with an inflation rate of 231M% (that's 231 million percent); staples and common goods are unaffordable, and the unemployment rate continues to hover around 80%.

This means even greater numbers of people will require assistance of some kind in the coming months. Food, shelter, basic necessities required for mere survival. Talks are not going well thus far; humanitarian aid and strategies for helping Zimbabwe's citizens are being considered by multiple nations. Meanwhile, nearly every nation is weathering its own financial crisis and attempting to prevent some kind of economic collapse.

It's incredibly sobering to stop in the middle of feeling anxious about our own decisions with regard to daycare, moving, careers, etc. - and to remember how blessed we are to have such dilemmas to face. We need not worry about basic survival; we are healthy; we have insurance; we own a home; we have money saved. Whatever our concerns may be this week, they pale in comparison to the life and death struggles faced by so many people in multiple areas across the world.

The theme of perspective and its impact upon the quality of our lives has been at the forefront of my mind lately. I think that, if there is any power we hold in shaping our futures and realities, it is in the way we view and make meaning of our days. We may shape our destinies in the way we understand and articulate our own story - triumph or tragedy... it is all in the choices we make, the lives we lead, and the way we tell our tales.

Double-Dutch for the Seeming Apocolypse (a form stolen, in part, from my husband)

Freddie Mac
Fanny Mae
A I G

Yellowstone
due to go
kerplooey

Galveston hit
and Chicago
under water

Stock market money
going down for
your daughter

People going
crazy while the
politicians lie

Hope the next
election doesn't
make you cry

Every day you
wonder will the
economy survive?

Scrimp and save
and pray and maybe
you'll be fine

1-2-3
and you
are
?

NOT PANICKING

Okay... things seemed bad when it seemed Bear Stearns was going to collapse and everyone helicoptered in to "rescue" the firm from financial ruin, but a run still happened and, of course, their stock took a beating.

Then a bank run on IndyMac created a huge panic for customers, investors, and the fed. (Apparently, the FDIC won't insure amounts above $100,000. Not necessarily an issue or concern for us at present, but definitely good to know.) So now we may be "re-entering" a recession. Funny... I didn't realize we had left it.

Today I heard the unemployment numbers for June are the lowest they've been since 1993... yes, 1993. And the May to June jump was the highest it's been since 1986. Yes... '86.

Andy informs me there hasn't been a run on any banks in America since the 1930s. So. All that rose-colored smoke that's been blown up everyone's butts for the past year or so... thankfully, it's been de-hued a bit. I really don't like being told everything is okay when it clearly is not, and I do feel we've heard the "everything is alright" message quite a bit.

But, rather than be angry or bitter or panicky or conspiracy-theory-ish, I will attempt instead to be proactive. Productive and hopeful, even.

So... let's see. Ten things I can do in the next two months in an attempt to work positively and constructively for myself and others amidst a difficult and troubling climate:

1. Start a garden. Even better... try to collaborate with our local Boys & Girls Club down the street to see see if there's a way to establish a community garden that the kids can plan and maintain.
2. Compost. This not only helps in terms of cutting down on the amount of trash we, as a family, generate, but will also come in quite handy if the garden does indeed become a reality.
   
3. Stop eating out. It's the biggest money-suck Andy and I are guilty of. We get up at 5:30am most mornings and hit the ground running. By the end of the day, we're both eager to let someone else do the cooking. But I think saving money right now is a good idea. (Every little bit helps.)
4. Use less air conditioning; think about alternative heating ideas for the winter. The thermostat is currently set to 76. I just moved it to 78. (Again, they say every little bit helps.)
5. Check into insulation options for the house. It's old and leaks heat and cooling like a sieve with a very large hole in it. Even constructing some internal storm windows for winter will be a big help.
6. Follow the budget. This is related to #2, but goes more toward changing our mindsets from spendy to thrifty... just in case that extra cash is need later on (like when gas is $5.25 and I'm driving to Murphysboro everyday!).
7. See what we can donate to local shelters and community resources. We have lots of stuff we don't need that might be of use to others. If someone else is able to use what we have without buying something new, we've helped them save some money too - without creating more waste.
   
8. Drive less. We live close to a lot of things (including a grocery store) that are within easy walking distance, and we could also bike to our farmers' market each week. Not only does it help the pocketbooks, it also helps the enviro too. Win-win.
9. See if I can create or consult with someone to offer a program during my internship next semester... something aimed at high school students or even their parents. Teaching kids about mortgages, credit cards, investment options, and tips for saving money and energy at home might be helpful info or at least come in handy one day.
   
10. Pray. Meditate. Stay positive. Envision a successful resolution to the current crisis and try to be actively involved in moving it from thought, to word, to action. (May sound silly to some of you, but I really do believe in the power of intention.)

Gardenarium

One of the stories featured on Morning Edition today was about a nonprofit organization in Detroit that has begun to plant community gardens on foreclosed or abandoned properties to help offset rising food costs and reconnect community members in struggling areas. The food is free to any community members who may need it, and whatever remains gets donated to local food banks. Pretty cool idea.

The organization, called Urban Farming, hopes to create similar gardens in other parts of the country hit hard by the awful housing market. This, along with movements to increase community supported agriculture, local eating, and like-minded pursuits may significantly shift the way we think about food in this country.

Increasing self-sustained food growing efforts, community connection to local resources, and a sense of responsibility with regard to where we buy, how we prepare, and what we eat has become more and more important as the economy tanks and the weather gets worse.

One idea Andy and I want to look into: hydroponics. You never know what's going to happen with your growing season - particularly if you start getting hit with record-breaking temperatures, unexpected tornadoes and earthquakes, or anomalous flooding.

I think the reason the Urban Farming story has stayed with me all day is because of how much hope it gave me. I love that there are people in this world who can walk into at tragedy and create something productive and inspiring... who can connect people feeling scared or alienated and find a way to move forward.

Ingenuity can feel like a miracle in the right circumstances. And sometimes, I think we'll need a few of those in the next few years.

It's not easy being green...

I heard two stories today that made me feel happy, excited, and proud. Both focused on organizations begun here in the U.S. that emphasize green living, using new ideas to help work against the growing climate crisis.

The first was on NPR's Morning Edition - a story about a man dedicated to obtaining "zero waste" locally and, eventually, nationally. His name is Eric Lombardi and he has created a not-for-profit in Boulder, CO called Eco-Cycle. Eco-Cycle's Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) specializes in recycling unusual materials and objects. Some of the more unique items they'll recycle for Boulder residents: cooking oil; toilets, sinks, and urinals; and athletic shoes.

The second was on one of our local PBS stations and highlighted the Cambridge Energy Alliance, a nonprofit group committed to transforming the city of Cambridge by retrofitting and re-making existing buildings for homeowners and businesses into green buildings. Not only do they provide consultation and training, but they also provide low-interest loans to Cambridge residents who wish to make "green" updates.

I think sometimes it's easy to lose sight of the innovative and inspirational steps people all around the world are taking to continue making the world a better, safer, more socially conscious place to live. Whether we're headed for an environmental disaster or not, it makes me feel a deep sense of gratitude and joy to know Ari will benefit from the brilliant steps being taken to move us forward.

Consider all sides...

NPR played a story this morning that has stuck with me all day. It focused on renters and landlords in Maine who have been affected by the skyrocketing oil prices we've likely all been struggling with (and impacted by) over the last few months.

Apparently, some landlords have neglected to keep up with the heating needs of their tenants; hundreds of renters have contacted the state in an effort to acquire adequate heating for their homes in the midst of a hard winter, and many of those affected are families with small children.

Easy to villify the landlords and to feel anger, outrage, and sadness when initially listening to this story. We can think back and remember our own experiences with similar injustices... to think of past landlords who treated us unfairly, to think about our own financial worries and the resultant anxiety in the wake of a recession-tinged economy, to remember a time when we were in trouble or jeopardy and feeling no one was there to help.

What was nice, however, was the reporter covering this story also interviewed some landlords and found they were struggling as well. Rising costs have forced many landlords to sacrifice their own heating needs, and many owners who occupy their buildings are facing unreasonable mortgage costs in the wake of the recent housing fiasco, as well as rising oil costs that threaten to make it impossible to keep up with their expenses. They are feeling scared and doing all they can to take care of their own families and make ends meet.

It's a difficult situation for everyone. And what struck me in listening to this story, aside from feeling a deep sadness that so many people are struggling to meet their most basic of needs, was a sense that most people are doing the best they can. I believe most people are not out to hurt others. We may be selfish at times in our pursuit of what we deem important, but usually the hurt we cause is a side effect of a myopic and singular drive to succeed in our plans. What's more, those who are purposefully hurting others are often doing so because their own experiences have necessitated the development of coping techniques and personality changes integral in ensuring survival.

Compassion can be a tricky thing. Especially when we're feeling scared, anxious, or helpless. Asking for help can be hard, and responding with love to those you see as oppressors can be even harder. But what a lofty goal to hold in one's heart and mind each day.

Compassion embraces frailty and beauty in the potentiality that is the very best of humankind and allows us to see the connection and commonality among us. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a history. Everyone has fears, hopes, hurts, and transgressions. We're human. We're imperfect. It's what is so lovely and impossibily frustrating in seeking to make meaning of the highs and lows of life.