Change or ... ?

Things aren't what they used to be, and for the vast majority of us, they're not getting any better. There is not just one single thing that's bringing us all down.

It's not just that the political system is broken, or that capitalism has gone off the deep end. It's not just that we're changing the climate and destroying the planet through our addiction to plastics and oil. It's not that our schools are failing or that people are simply getting dumber. And it's not just a matter of crawling into our own little cocoons and ignoring anything in the world that doesn't quite suit us. It's not because we've lost our faith in God or that gays can marry or that women want equal pay. Oh sure, there's a bit of truth in each one of these things, and each one, in its own way, is contributing to the feelings of powerlessness and helplessness that each and every one of us feels each and every day.

Things change all the time and every one of these things has changed and will continue to change as long as we're alive. Some of them could be show-stoppers, like an environmental collapse, a large-scale armed conflict because of food or water scarcity, or perhaps a global financial meltdown. Any one of these things could happen, but these are all things that we, as human beings, have significant influence over. Fewer activities that aggravate the climate, better distribution of resources, particularly essential resources, and a more equitable financial system are all within our power. The problem as I see it, though, is that they are not within the will of most people. We think these are big-ticket items, and we're just too small, too insignificant to have any real influence on them.

In the undeveloped world, we know (or at least suspect) that too many are simply embroiled in an everyday struggle for existence. In the developed world, we see this becoming increasingly the case: rising unemployment, downward pressure on wages, unstable employment when you have it, low-wage jobs, often part-time (even if you're "lucky" enough to have more than one), rising costs of food, rent, transportation ... the list goes on and on. What can any of us little people do about all of that? That's a good question, and I can assure you, there is no easy answer.

We can choose to do nothing, and hope for the best, but we all know deep down that the best will be the worst. If any one (or more than one) of those too-big-to-do-anything-about systems fails, we'll have no choice but to merely react. And when we all react at once, it isn't going to be a pretty sight. On the other hand, even though we may not be able to directly change and of the big things, the one item over which we (should) have complete control is ourselves. Yes, in the end, regardless of what you think about any of it, it all comes down to you anyway. Change or ...