Engagement

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself.

I have been 'asleep' for many years. A combination of factors, personal, psychological, emotional, spiritual have given me the excuse to ignore the outer external reality, to a great degree. I would rather not have known exactly how bad things were. And certainly not done anything to help fix it.
For a long time I was focused inwardly; nothing wrong with that. However, it came at the expense of what was happening in the outer.
I didn't want to really get involved in community, state or national politics,
I thought if I ignored it, it would go away. I wasn't totally oblivious, but was not very engaged.
I mouthed the typical sayings that we are poisoning the earth and how we live is unsustainable and agreed...
and simply went on living my life.

Last year I learned about Peak Oil and Read The Long Emergency.
A part of me looked forward to the big crash/reset - the isolationist in me was still strong. I thought we needed that level of suffering and it would bring people together. And it would…but.

Then something happened a few weeks ago. I began reading about economics and this led to learning more about our Financial systems and then a web site and then book by CHS.
When I read:

"That is why I subtitled this book "Structuring Prosperity for Yourself and the Nation." To
believe that we can prosper individually without regard for the actions of our fellow citizens and the State (government) is simply not practical. Yes, a handful of very rugged people have the experience required to live in the deepest remains of wilderness; but the wilderness cannot support more than a handful of people, and most of us do not have the requisite skills or ruggedness to survive that splendid isolation.
This, then, is a practical book for the rest of us."

Something in me shifted. I let go of the isolationist direction, took personal steps to minimize its effect and suddenly it seems a whole world opened up. (It also led to a better personal life ;-)

I am reading more and making up for lost time.
OMG we are in serious trouble.  Is it too late to change? I don't know. I think it is for some.
I also saw the film 2012:TimeForChange. This showed me a vision for a new way to live. Smaller, more communal and more responsive to our environment and each other. Showed me what is possible and a deeper value for what I do: teaching people how to develop software. Rather than creating bookkeeping systems for the Elite and State, the software could be used to support new types of currencies, businesses and endeavors to benefit us all. A new look at what it means to work, contribute, Be Alive.

Kinda like being overweight: I thought a diet would help.

No. A diet: changing eating habits for a while to regain certain weight, then resuming same habits that caused the weight, is not the answer. I have to radically change my eating habits. Permanently.

We have to radically change our living habits.

I rejoined Facebook and G+ and have been writing and posting there. I like the idea of the Fair Tax and am learning more and helping to spread the word. That's all I can do at present.
And will continue to do so here.

Does anyone read this? IDK. Words appear in the mind and I type and they appear on the page.

So, like myself, have you been ignoring the bare, cold truths out there? and if not? what have you been doing to plan for yourself, your family, your community, nation and world?

We need a new way to live. It has some of the feel of the possibility and energy of the 60s. I was too young then to do anything but be influenced. But I think this time I can do more.

I'll be writing here more and sharing what I've found, what's going on and hopefully this will entertain, enlighten and encourage you to tune in, turn on, and drop out (of old patterns of behaviors and beliefs).