Demise of Community

 

Indoor plumbing – the demise of community?

 

Take a moment to reflect on the benefits of indoor plumbing, specifically the loo, the WC (wash closet), the john,  the head, the can, the toilet, the crapper, the commode, the porcelain throne, the potty …. Now take a moment to reflect on the lessons learned from the ‘out’ house.  What knowledge could be shared from the experiences gained by our relatives which lived in a time before this modern convenience.

These folks needed to observe many factors or else suffer the consequences. The obvious aspect was location. Not only the distance from home to outhouse but additionally the chosen pathway to the outhouse. Did the route have sharp rocks or plants with thorns? The conditions of the trees were also noted: if leaning there would be concern of falling onto the pathway. Was the trail bisected by any wild animal trails? Equally important, other trends of nature such as the direction of the wind. Did it blow away from or towards the outhouse? In every type of weather, would the path be accessible? During the spring rains, would there be puddles and mud? In the cold of winter, would there be issues with ice formation or snow drifts? The lesson: pay attention to natural world and your surrounding habitat.

Before construction could begin, the acknowledgement of physical abilities and a proper design were necessary. The builder needed to be physically able to accept the challenge, be able to obtain all necessary materials plus make sure they were sustainably sourced so a new one could be created with minimal inconvenience. Observational and memory skills were put to the test to reflect upon design flaws noted in other outhouses? Which way did the roof slant? Which direction did the door open and face? What materials had they used? Where did they put the therapeutic papers (tp)? Additional information could be gained by asking neighbors for valuable insight. There was an acceptance of limitations to live within ones means. There was value in learning as well as sharing. 

The design must be inclusive as it would be utilized by all ages and sizes of humans. It must be sturdy enough to support a large man yet small enough as not to have a small child fall in. It was also imperative that the work be done properly. An outhouse which was built with poor craftsmanship would not last for long. Poor choice of wood could result in splinters. The hole itself, if dug into a substrate which would not drain or would crumble when wet, as well as if not dug deep enough would all cause future issues. There was no excuse for exerting the least effort possible or expectations of someone else fixing your shoddy work. There must be pride in a job well done and wisdom to think of others instead of exclusively self.

This wisdom to look outward to community has eroded. The realization that we are made to be together and cooperate has been lost. The world today preaches the value of looking inward and relying upon self. Society demands we be narcissistic (self-absorbed); take as much as you can for as long as you can. To be considered important you must go faster than your neighbor. In our haste to speed up and be more productive, are we actually doing more damage?

The Anthropologist Kathryn Bouskill has been studying the effects of fast paced living on humans.  Except for the exponential population growth, what do we as a race of humans have to show for the past 50 years? 100 years? 200 years? The world population, at the start of the 1800’s was around one billion people. In a span of 100 years, the population doubled. Statistically speaking, approximately 50 people for every 5,280 square feet. By the 1970’s the population again doubled to four billion people. Incidentally, that was also the same decade in which the realization that the United States had surpassed the carrying capacity of its citizens.  The term carrying capacity is defined as the ability for one nation to grow enough food within the soil of that nation to support all the humans who live within the boundaries of that nation. This explains why our grocery store foods are more world traveled than the majority of shoppers.      

The world human population is presently over 8 billion, for every square mile 130 people. In essence, where there was only one person now within a span of a single generation there are three. The wild animal species however have not been able to over populate their habitat. They have not been reckless by acting as if there were seemingly unlimited resources of food, shelter, water.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list established in 1964 as an indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. This list currently provides the names of more than 150,300 species. Over 42,000 have populations declining; one of every three is threatened with the reality of extinction. In the United States 1,300 species are in endangered. The number of known globally extinct living beings was 842 only 13 years ago, today 905 known species - gone forever. These numbers do not reflect the dark extinctions, those species which died out before we have even discovered them and determined their contributing value. Unless we think of community instead of self and take bold actions, we will be once more be responsible for mass genocide. ‘One does not have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy and understanding are sufficient.’ – Charles Blow

The last 50 years many bird species have had population declines as great as 60%. Hundreds of lives have been lost, and hundreds more are considered to be extinct within the next fifty years. Do we feel empathy for the devastation? Do we even acknowledge ourselves as the destroyer of all creation?

If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. Wrong is always wrong no matter how many are doing it. Right is always right even if no one is doing it.  “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort. It is choosing what is right over what is fun. Fast. Or easy. It is choosing to practice your values rather than simply professing them”- Professor & Author Brene Brown. You may never know what results come from your actions but if you do nothing here will be no results. – political ethicist & lawyer Mohandas ‘Mahatma’ & activist Kasturba Gandhi. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. – Theologian Desmond Tutu

The desire for we humans to have every want conveniently and expediently fulfilled appears to be acceptable. Do we consider the origins of the water when we twist the knob? Or electricity when we flip a switch? What about the foods we consume? Where do they come from? Because of the advancements in there are wonderful improvements to the medical field, industry, transportation, and connectivity. Thanks to innovations in technology, we have access to a great flood of information on a global scale within minutes. In one moment, we see human tragedies, scroll a bit more to see humorous baby animal videos, scroll further to salacious celebrity headlines. We are living faster than we can cognitively process. We pack our days with activities but are we actually improving our lives? Happiness and busy-ness are not synonymous.  We have polarized our communities, stifled our creativity and retreated into our self-made safe havens of chaos. We are surrounded by billions of people and yet we feel more isolated and lonelier than any time in history!  

As anthropologist Jane Goodall said ‘Here we are arguably the most intelligent being that ever walked the planet earth with this extraordinary brain yet we are destroying the only home we have.’ How many of the 8 billion humans view themselves as a guest on this planet; the earth as being borrowed from future generations - a loan from the native neighbors? How many view it as a place to control? Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it is not a problem to you personally. It is culturally sanctioned to stay busy no matter the expenditure of natural resources. But author Brian Herbert points out “The capacity to learn is a gift. The ability to learn is a skill. The willingness to learn is a choice.”  A question was posed – Would you give up right to vote or give up your smart phone? The majority of those polled responded flippantly: the right to vote! Technology keeps me connected.

Sociologist W.E.B. DuBois astutely professed that we should measure the prosperity of the nation not by the number of millionaires but by the absence of poverty; the prevalence of health; the efficiency of the public schools; and the number of people who can and do read worthwhile books.” If you view reading a waste of time, consider the insight of Albert Einstein that creativity is the residue of time wasted. The creations of art, music, and writing are ways to be reminded that humanity is capable of beautiful things and allow us to escape the harsh reality encapsulating us daily. 

‘The earth provides enough to satisfy mans needs, but not every greed’ – M. Gandhi. There is no limit on what entails enough for many of the most wealthy and powerful human beings on this planet. There is the desire to possess more. Yet the wisest person finds contentment with the joys which have no monetary value. Those souls are by far the wisest. They K.I.S.S. and find JOY! They Keep It Super Simple and find the Jubilation of Yielding. Discovering youthful bliss in the assorted shades of green upon the natural landscape, the symphony of wild bird songs, the fragrant scent of flowers, the taste of wholesome foods. Nothing in nature lives for itself. Rivers do not drink their own water. Trees do not eat their own fruit. Flowers do not spread fragrance for themselves. Living for others is the rule of nature. It is the humans then which can be defined as the aberrant beings.        

The lessons of the past should still resonate in the present. The only way to preserve a future is by acknowledging we must be aware of the wild spaces and species around us. We must not be afraid to share and learn experiential facts. We must think of ourselves as one member of a community – an ecosystem where all members actions effect all the other members very lives. Reflect upon the insight in this statement: When any living being is removed from the natural landscape, the ripples are always felt – except man-kind. We humans must identify the truth that our place in the natural world is not defined as the dominant destroyer but rather a guest in the home of our wild native neighbors.     

Have we finally reached a place in history when we are able to see the consequences for our actions and inactions? Weak people are abusive and spiteful. Strong people are protective and loving. Compassion is not a weakness. The absence of it is toxic. It is the savage who destroys the spaces and species around himself. “Cruelty is the worst of human sins. Once we accept that a living creature has feelings and suffers pain then knowingly and deliberately inflict suffering on that creature, we are guilty whether it be human or animal.”- J. Goodall. “You need power only when you want to do something harmful. Otherwise, love is enough to get everything done.” - Film maker Charles ‘Charlie’ Chaplin

Closing words of wisdom from World Class freediver Kimi Werner “When you feel the need to speed up, slow down!” and look around.