Big picture

[Ben Tremblay]

I was "on the bus" at 14 ... 1968. Can't recall things ever being that good since.

So I carried those values forward ... or tried to, at least.
It sure ain't about being slack and sloppy ... nothing about keeping a bus on the road is slack and sloppy.
And nothing about relationships, either.

But basically I've watched our society in a dangerous tail-spin.
World politics radicalized me. I was in the military when we (Canadians) helped other developed countries over-throw the democratically elected government in Chile. (Allende; 1973) That was a very damaging shock.
What really rocked me was how that sort of trash behaviour has its roots in our daily lives, in the values of individuals.
We collude with corruption ...
... not good karma.

So anyway some of that deep inspiration has survived. I still respond energetically to such as "What Makes Us Happy?" (The Atlantic, June09):

"Is there a formula—some mix of love, work, and psychological adaptation—for a good life? For 72 years, researchers at Harvard have been examining this question, following 268 men who entered college in the late 1930s through war, career, marriage and divorce, parenthood and grandparenthood, and old age. Here, for the first time, a journalist gains access to the archive of one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history. Its contents, as much literature as science, offer profound insight into the human condition"

Or Jian Ghomeshi interviewing Hal Niedzviecki ("The Peep Diaries") on today's edition of "Q", talking about how cyber community actually leaves us more isolated. (Narcissistic and solipsistic ... cornerstone concepts.) The podcast hasn't been posted yet, but keep an eye on their site.
So ... I might be kinda bummed out, but I ain't dead in my tracks! *grin*

But big picture is to move into the Rockies. (I live near Williams Lake on a commune with "The Hippies and Troopers" one winter early 80s.) That's been with me since I spent some time in Jasper "free camp" ... 1971?

What comes to mind as a viable project is something like a Zen retreat that would bring folk over a number of days to the peak of Mt. Robson. (I think that's doable ... gotta check it out this summer.)

Ah, ah, ah ... to sit quiety and watch the mountains move!
:-)

[Russ]

Good to hear your thoughts, Ben! Although "sex, drugs, & rock- in- roll" are still very much a part of the world, I'm pleased to experience the serious side of many of the young people in the enviromental/ecovillage movement, today. I think we have moved past the place of "let's share everything" to some things are best shared. And, it appears the societal urge for over-consumption is diminishing... It will be interesting to see where we all end up in 5-10 years!

[Ben Tremblay]

I"Ve pretty much always trusted that there was a substantial aspect to what is so often just fluff and posturing, which is why I set my project aside for my "later years" (i.e. some sort of quasi-retreat experience in the mountains. FWIW setting up retreat cabins was the idea for moving to the hills of Cape Breton ... a project my X carried out after huh huh having married my best friend. *grin/squirm*)
Having set that aside I've spent most of my years in far less idylic settings ... street music / street protests, that sorta thing. (Someday maybe I'll write or tell you about the "wanderers in the desert" metaphor.)
I've steered most of my energy out of an eccentric sense of exploration rather than having it goal-oriented ... "reality testing", I call it.

I've been hearing talk about reduced urge to consumption ... thinking that might be just making a virtue of a necessity ... but it's good to hear those vibes.
I heard a great interview with Hal Niedzviecki [1] on CBC Radio "Q" coupla days ago [2] ... he talked about the loneliness of social networks. Great stuff ... narcissism / solipsism.


1) http://thepeepdiaries.com/home/ and his book: http://thepeepdiaries.com/home/Hal/bookIndex/
2) http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?42#ref42 for June2

[Ben Tremblay]

Good grief ... 2009 and Ning doesn't transform URLs into links. *sigh*

1) Hal's HomePage; his book, "Peep Diaries"; his blog; on Twitter (@halpen)
2) CBC Radio "Q" Podcasts (Hal was on June 2nd)