How many planets?

Hey Maggie,

We all get to be the hermit sometimes.  I think it is a great sign of maturity - being able to, or even enjoying, spending time alone. Alone means no distractions - just you and your thoughts.

You should be proud of your youngest. He has the makings of being a fine man.

Years ago, a friend and I were invited to quite a few places to do a workshop.  We had worksheets we helped people work through, and in the end there was a number.  That number told us - if everyone on the planet lived your lifestyle, how many planets worth of resources would we need. Most people scored around 6. A few went as high as 23.

I was living in the cabin, which did not have electricity. We had a hand pump and a woodstove, and I still got a score of 2. As long as we have cars, we are using more than our fair share of the world's resources.  I scored a 1 once. It was the year I was living in the cabin with my three youngest kids, and I shared my car with my son.

We live in a country where all of the rails have been removed.  There is no public transportation in my village.  None.  At all.  We have been pushed into a lifestyle where we must consume.

And we don't think about it. It's simply the American way.

My best friend from college has been doing some research and found that even though, logically, we don't believe everything we see on TV, the primitive part of our brain is recording it all and believing it.  All of those messages about standard of living, about the size of our space and the type of furnishings, we believe it all.

When I was doing the workshops, Americans were 5% of the world's population and we were using 25% of the world's resources.

When people were doing the sheets, and they saw the numbers, one of two things happened.  Either they started arguing trivialitites - this isn't exactly like my life. We would remind them we were going for a rough idea. But they wouldn't let go of arguing about minor differences. Other people would simply turn the paper over and promise to finish at home.

We are uncomfortable with our participation in exploitation.  But how do we escape?

Anyway, we began warning people.  We began telling them they were going to be very uncomfortable with the numbers they got.  But by the end of the workshop, we could give them at last one idea for reducing their score.

Walked several miles, pushing a stroller, and attended a small music festival today. I met old friends and talked to quite a few people. I am left with a sense of belonging.  I like that.

Tired but happy...love and hugs from...

Clare