Revolution

"PERHAPS the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason." Thomas Paine's introduction to "Common Sense"

Zzoe and I took a trip to Cape Ann this weekend sans children (o mi god), and after seeing the miles and miles of traffic-endless gas burning metal boxes full of crazed animals trying to get to the beach-and the garbage created by us all that later washed up on the beautiful, once wild beaches, I got back ready to start a revolution. It can take a long time for water to cause a rock to crack ,but once the crack begins to open and the light begins to pour in, it comes faster than ever thought imaginable. I have started to question everything around me, everything I see, and I am becoming more and more aware of the cancer of consumption and self gratification that is bringing our planet to a a standstill. I also am becoming painfully aware of my own part in it, and unwillingness to change my personal habbits. (It's hard to be a flaky artist and organize yourself against the 'get it now' mentality), but I am more and more discusted by the evidence of selfishness that shows its ugly face in every aspect of day to day living. I have been reading Ghandi's autobiography "My Experiments with the Truth" (Satyagraha) and I find that truth is a good word to resolve the search for the answers to big questions. Instead of approaching a problem with a solution, he askes a question, and then another, and then changes his mind when evidence shows him something must be false. Can we all question our lives continually? Maybe that is too much to ask...but maybe we all need a little more self examination. Like so many people, I have been devastated by the BP oil spill, but I think we all need to take a good hard look at our own part in this disaster. Every time we consume something that traveled, any time we get in our car, buy anything plastic, ride in an airplane...we are a part of the problem. I need to think about that. Zzoe and I have made a pledge to stop buying disposable food containers at all costs. We are going to pack dishes,cups, and silverware in the car and- to remind us of the cost of short term conveniences we are going to make a garbage sculpture with the kids of all the disposables we use in a week. I will post a picture when we finish it.