Starting From Zero

 

What better time to change our direction than when starting from zero? Because from zero, any bit of improvement is something. If, for example, we know that work can be done remotely, and that doing so would have a positive impact on the environment by reducing pollution, and that it would improve the quality of life for those who need to be on the highway by making their commute easier, why wouldn't we do that? It seems that more companies are working remotely. Especially after having invested large amounts into the remote work infrastructure.

I want to explore other ways that we can do society. Different scales and methods. I know that it's comforting to pretend that our way is the only way. It's what we're attached to.

This pandemic has shaken few people more from their comfort zone than it has I. You see... I'm a homebody, I'm usually very attached to the space where I live. Coming to the realization of moving into a trailer after doing the math wasn't easy to swallow. But, all of the elements are there. Reduced cost of living, the ability to raise my kids and not have them in (potentially dangerous) day cares all day, and flexibility for current and future work, and then the bonus regarding Highway Troubadour the ability to give back through concerts and by excavating information that's useful about all of what I'm mentioning here.

 

But, getting back to what I started this post with. There's no better time to tack our ship in a better direction. We've seen the cracks in our system, in the foundational philosophy that holds it all up. Some parts have proven to be alarmingly flimsy.

We no longer need to continue the trajectory of the first and second world wars. We're not a growing civilization anymore. We're a civilization that doesn't know how to handle how much we've grown. We're a civilization standing on a ship that's taking on water. And I want to be one of the people who helps our current and future generations be able to withstand the inevitable storms to come.

 

It's time to talk about something different. If we don't, we'll squander this opportunity. It's time for me to change, and to change in ways that are uncomfortable for me. And I hope that I continue to fall in love with being uncomfortable. It's harmless really, it's just uncomfortable.

 

The second half of the Chinese word for crisis (危机) means something like "change point". There is indeed a way to leverage a crisis, but we have to be willing to maneuver in ways that we never imagined before.