A price too dear to pay
The question, "Who's to blame?" has lost its relevance over the last long months. Now we should start asking ourselves, "Who paid?"
I think it's clear that we all paid in some ways during the crisis. Those who depended more on oil obviously paid more than others. The folks who were able to get their gardens planted in time, those who had bicycles or horses, those who established neighborhood cooperatives - they encountered difficulties, of course, but they came through relatively unscathed. Or, at least, less scathed than some.
Think about it
Think, for a moment, about the people who have been living in the red zones. And the people who have been dying there. It's heartbreaking to consider how many people were stuck there and had to pay for it with their property or lives.
Think about the new folks in the big city whom nobody knew and nobody trusted. Think about the apartment dwellers who had no space to build a garden. Think about the farmers who couldn't get the fertilizer for their crops. Think about the long haul truckers who are out of jobs. Think about the importers and exporters who can no longer buy or sell goods. Think about those in the travel industry, who have become, as the Brits say, "redundant." Think about the folks who didn't have any survival skills and went hungry for lack of know-how. Think about all those who have slipped through the cracks.
I think about them all. I think about them a lot. I send to them my best wishes and hopes that someday their lives may approach a semblance of safety and normalcy again. And it's my goal to do my part to ensure that nothing like this happens again. What about you? (Lead_tag has some thoughts about that. So does Warnwood. And ceegee! Couldn't have said it better myself.)
Take a moment this Thanksgiving to count your blessings, no matter how small. You're here, right? You're breathing? That's a good thing. It's a gift that many people lost during this dark time.
In other news
First of all, my deepest condolences to OrganizedChaos on her dad. I guess it's possible that he might have escaped the wreckage of that truck, but she's got to be going through tough times right now. Nonetheless, please join her in her mission and work to pull together your community, too.
Blueski has some excellent gardening tips, not only on reducing carbon emissions, but reducing the tiring battle of the weeds. Really great information there, and now I'm definitely looking into raising geese.
3:45am posted a singularly alarming video which either talks about space aliens or dimensional rifts, but I highly encourage you NOT to watch it in a dark room all alone. Brrrr.
Also...
Megiddo Tell is doing his part in that community building we've been encouraging, which is great. David Moisan has some thought-provoking points to make about people with injuries and disabilities in a crisis situation. Tlachtga reminds us to give thanks, but also not to let the dreariness of the process of survival overwhelm us. AJaX has a great video of three teen guys talking about how they're doing more bike riding to help reduce the burden on their folks. Anda has yet another awesome comic about the crisis, this time how folks are returning to the "real world." FallingIntoSin has a really nice welcome home video for our returning troops. And last but not least, Mia Without Oil and Lucy1965 managed to meet up for a spot of tea and fellowship.
Don't forget -
How are things in your community these days? Those of you in the red zones, are you feeling a little relief? Please remember to keep submitting your stories to keep the rest of us updated on what your life is like.
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