Things Seem Bad Out There

Things seem bad out there. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that

"Employment fell sharply (-533,000) in November, and the unemployment rate rose from 6.5 to 6.7 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. November's drop in payroll employment followed declines of 403,000 in September and 320,000 in October, as revised. Job losses were large and widespread across the major industry sectors in November.

Both the number of unemployed persons (10.3 million) and the unemployment rate (6.7 percent) continued to increase in November. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, as recently announced by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the number of unemployed persons increased by 2.7 million, and the unemployment rate rose by 1.7 percentage points.

Home prices are in a record decline, food banks are struggling to keep up with the demand as food prices continue to rise and household incomes fall, leading to a record number of Americans utilizing the Food Stamp program:

"Food stamps, the main U.S. antihunger program which helps the needy buy food, set a record in September as more than 31.5 million Americans used the program -- up 17 percent from a year ago, according to government data.

The number of people using food stamps in September surpassed the previous peak of 29.85 million seen in November 2005 when victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma received emergency benefits, said Jean Daniel of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service." Reuters

For right now, my family and my neighbors are safe, warm, and fed. The trucks delivering fuel, food, and medicines still arrive on schedule. But what if they don't come? Well then, we have fertile land, clean water, stock, and seed, and know-how. You can't live in fear, especially when your most overwhelming Fear is "what if Out There comes here?".

It seems most of our greatest fears are variations on this theme: What if someone took my child from me? What if someone came into my home and took my cash, jewelry, art, tools, food? What if a virus crashes my computer? A disease robs me of my health? Another woman takes my man? Another company takes my market niche? What if someone truly evil takes my child's future? What if, though I give my absolute best effort, I still lose everything? If what we fear is the loss of that which we love most, that which is most essential to our well-being, certainly we must ensure that treasure is safe. But before we even begin discussing necessary security measures, we have to identify the Treasure.

In Lloyd Alexander's epic series "The Prydain Chronicles", humanity has a final chance to rescue what the evil king had locked away from us. Among the glittering mounds of jewels and precious metals were two treasures that had been missed above all else. One was knowledge of the Crafts - music, blacksmithing, weaving, pottery. The other was a collection of wondrous tools that produced all by themselves, gifting us with exceptional finished products without any additional human effort. When the last chapter of the Prydain Chronicles was published in 1968, Lloyd Alexander had decided; the knowledge could be retrieved, should be saved.

"Do you know what you have found?" he whispered. "Here are the secrets of forging and tempering metals, of shaping and firing pottery, of planting and cultivating. This is what Arawn stole long ago and kept from the race of men. This knowledge is itself a priceless treasure."

And what of the wondrous tools? What did the acclaimed author and observer of men decide about their worth?

"The flames of Annuvin destroyed the enchanted tools that labored of themselves and would have given carefree idleness. These [secrets] are far worthier, for their use needs skill, and strength of hand and mind."

Most of why I worry about and for those Out There is that so many places may be caught with complete dependence on those wondrous enchanted tools for the manufacture and delivery of the food, fuel, and medicines central to modern life. Things are different here. Skill, and strength of hand and mind have a way of enduring in a place where carefree idleness remains always slightly out-of-reach.

I've lived in rural or wild places my entire life. We are more exposed to the harshness of weather, to the whims of government intervention, and access to the global anything. Almost everyone I know has Crashed atleast once. It isn't the reality of "after the Fall" that feels so futile but how far you are, yet again, from the radiance of the American Dream. But when you learn that crashing doesn't always mean dying, that it more often entails the painful process of picking up the shattered pieces and starting over, something shifts inside you. You begin to unchain yourself from the addiction to the myths told Out There.

There is way more Reality in these wild places - it is in your story and your neighbor's and your brother's and your in-law's. Those pretty fairy tales about getting into a good school, getting a good job, and retiring early just don't seem to wrap so tightly around what we know to be possible. Falling doesn't mean you are bad and deserve to be hurt. It means someone left a skate in the path, or shoved you from behind, or maybe you are just a little clumsy. Falling isn't a judgment but a rhythm of life. It happens. And then you get up again.

Instead of exporting our precious natural resources - water, timber, and topsoil - I think it is high time we sent our stories Out There. It is right that all people should have a new dream, one that calls to our minds and hands and skill, not our idleness.