The Doldrums

So much is happening in our world at the moment, and yet it also feels slow, swirling, like we are stuck in the doldrums waiting to see what direction we’ll go and how quickly.

For years I’ve had things to say to the world, and been unsure how exactly to approach it. This need to explore ideas about how our society is organized, how we relate to the non-human world, and how our work and economic systems play into those interactions (and many of our problems) was the impetus for this space. So this moment also feels a bit destined. The ideas I want to explore and share are suddenly feeling much more immediate and perhaps exposed than they have been before.

But today, now, does not feel like the right time to dive deep. Partly because I am still in the midst of a hurricane of feeling: I’m scared, furious, hopeful, stressed, anxious, and eager to see what is next. But just like it will be time before we as a society and a species will be able to move ahead, I need a bit of time to think before diving deep into much of what I’d like to say.

This feels like a time to slow down and be. To reflect on what we’ve lost and what of that we actually want back. It is an opportunity for us to make some drastic shifts in the world order, and jump forward to a more sustainable and supportive way of life. We will face some very real and very important difficulties, but we also face a perhaps unprecedented opportunity to make completely different choices about how to organize our lives, our work, and our governments.

I’m not so naive as to think that everything can or will changes. I am only hoping that we can take this opportunity to cut through some of the bullshit that has been clogging up our systems and move forward together with a better, more shared vision for how we treat each other and the rest of life on earth, to our mutual benefit.

As you stay home, take care of your families, and still find time to work, I ask that you also find moments for reflection, moments to connect with the non-human world. Without the pressures of commuting, opportunities to find entertainment indoors in controlled environments, or to gather in large, collective groups, our best last option is to spend time outside, away from other people, being with ourselves and our families.

What do we learn in these moments of reflection and quietude? What do we feel? What do we want to carry forward into the new, post-COVID-19 reality?

My hope is that we learn peace, harmony, compassion for life. That we realize that a rising tide lifts all boats, and that a cut-throat sink-or-swim system sinks the less fortunate majority while disproportionately elevating the privileged.