How often do you speak to a person in a face to face conversation anymore? Actually have intelligent exchange of opinion, belief and sincere concern with or without feeling comfortable? If you had one, great for you. If it was comfortable, great for you. If it was uncomfortable, even better for you! You cannot have comfort without discomfort. Get used to it. But, have the conversation and have more of them with more people.
We used to have the news that we could depend on to report the news. Yes, report the news. Not create it, or spin it to whatever the belief is of the newscaster or the corporation that owns it. We can no longer depend on it, and we need to speak with each other. And it starts at home, and with neighbor and people we bump into wherever we may be. Be kind.
If you recall back in April 2016 I wrote about how we as a people in the physical world have become disconnected from real human interaction and with our world. I travelled back (not far) to my childhood home where my 81 year old mother still lives on 20 acres. I went about the surrounding communities with her to church, lunch and to a couple of the local stores. I felt like there was something big missing.
Today, I see and feel the disparity and the sadness of what the future of my youth has become. So much, to the point, when even years after having gone back to school and actually graduated after 8 years. Still having tuition payments 15 years later and a great family. I am sincerely fearful for my children’s future. I am also an optimist and truly believe God will provide.
There are companies that are taking the effort to make a shift change to educate communities to be an asset and future employee of their company. And it works. This is exactly the approach I am developing to replace the CAFO and bring back the rural animal and human food crops. It only makes sense to redevelop the small communities where many of us remember our youth.
In Monon, Reynolds, Buffalo, Brook, Monticello and many small towns in rural Indiana the streets are as vacant as the faces I look into. Where people and kids used to walk, run and ride bicycles, or have pick-up basketball or baseball games at the park (yes, I know it’s cold for some of these things). Something is missing in the community and neighborhood that I fondly remember. I do believe they are still there, just disguised under a layer of worry, fatigue and financial paralysis.
I know I cannot put blame on the CAFO all by itself. But we can directly trace it back to our dependency on cheaper, easier and comfort has lead us into larger and more personal impact to our demeanor and reliance of others. We once used to work hard and was physically tired at the end of the day. It also provided a sense and feeling of accomplishment. Today, most of the work is not physically difficult, although may be tiring, but the accomplishment we felt is missing.
We all have the ability to ensure we do not allow human, emotional, logical and true concern to be lost, and use these powerful attributes to fight against that what disconnects us. Our own decisions or lack of decisions to further shape and grow our future will defeat us if we do not sincerely love one another on at least a basic level, and let others know by our own words and actions.
It is hard and those around you can be part of the solution or not. Please be strong and believe and make an intelligent, caring and courageous effort. And most of all, know that God is always near.
life as we know it 