Natural Clothing Blog

I finally got to read “The World Without Us” by Alan Weisman. What a book! I heard a lot about it, so I expected somewhat of a dry preaching about the state of planet, how messed up we are and what exactly will happen to each species. What a surprise! The book is not like that at all.

It is wonderfully easy to read, elegant prose that taught me many things that I have never heard about. I learned about the ancient 18 stories deep underground dwellings in Turkey, provided shelter through thousands years of conflicts since 700 BC. I read with interests about place close to my heart – a 600 bison preserve in my native Poland. Alan Weisman writes about hundreds of small colorful details but paints them so lightly that you don’t feel overwhelmed but opposite – intrigued. Alan weaves gently like a painted landscape of  watercolors. As a reader you see different parts and eventually very slowly a bigger view reveals itself. Somewhere within the book, casually, a deeper understanding grows. It is about our role as species in regards to this planet called home. What was here before and what might be after… The nagging question starts to arise – what value did we really bring? What about all art, music, architecture? What did we really contribute here? What is the legacy we would leave? And who will be left to even theoretically benefit from our time limited presence?

It occurred to me that this question is a large scale of the true question that we try as parents to instill in our son’s and daughter’s hearts. “More ice cream” seems fun now. “Play now, work later” seems fun for a while.  ”I’ll try it just once…”, well, we know what happens… It is only if we look at things in magnified terms of long period of time or larger magnitude than ourselves, “what happens if we do all the time?”, “what if all others do the same?” that gives insight and correct judgment on the direction worth taking.

Alan Wiseman presented us that large scale very skillfully, showing gently by facts where we are heading, without the drama or nagging. It is very probable that each of us will take completely different lesson from that book. One thing is sure, we will never will look at the world the same.

Saw a huge eagle circling above the house. Like a good Momma Hen, I ran outside to protect my (remaining) chicken. I shook a stick at the Eagle yelling courageous “Shoo…”. He could care less, of course. The true majesty of his flight, seemingly without any movement, made me jealous…

A tiny town of Kamikatsu, Japan decided few years ago to limit their waste. They started with separating all household waste into 34 different categories designated for recycling. They found it cheaper and more environmentally friendly than alternatives. Look at the picture of their bins!

A bit of work but what if… all the towns do that? What if… all of us did that? The corporations…? What our planet will look like?

On a personal note, since we moved to the country, our joy of reusing material things increased: scraps got to animals, reused paper scraps go to compost, rich compost goes to our soil and we get these awesome vegetables. The unity of this cycle puts the soul at ease.

Many people commented that there was already too much media regarding Michael Jackson. I don’t know, I am not even a huge personal fan of the artist but at the same time, I appreciate the genius of his music. As his art seemingly filled everything last week, I re-watched his video of Earth Song. Why this song is such an environmental rock in Europe but never gained equal visibility in U.S.?  Is it because we wanted to see the features of Michael, the eccentric idol but not the humanitarian, caring deeply about the planet, a founder and benefactor of Heal the World Foundation? Would this not fit the mold we have made for him?

Whatever the case is, re-watch the video. It is filmed with authentic clips and it speaks for all of us.

I delivered yesterday some Tee shirts to a group of kids at the foothills of Cascade Mountains.  Children were completing a survival week run by Wolf Camp from Snohomish,  Washington. Sitting in a comfortable shade of a  large tree, the small group of youngsters demonstrated the actual skills they learned that week and shared their stories.  Presentation  was very impressive: how to make a wood bowl using the fire coals, which native plants are safe to eat, a tea out of pine needles was shared, we saw how to build a warm shelter using forest  debris. But the most exciting part came when the boys showed us how to start the fire. No matches, of course… It took less than 10 minutes using their handmade tool of tied sticks (even though  the original attempts took couple of hours, we hear…).  They shared then how their appreciation changed for fire and water, their meaning to life, driven by their first hand experience. It was very touching.

Adults gathered in circle looked with pride at the camp participants, grateful for sharing this experience and applauding, just like their kids when the fire was born.  At the same time it was hard not to reflect on  how far we are now from appreciating the most fundamental basis of survival. Majority of us have shelter in warm houses full of asbestos insulation, we have stores full of neat cardboard boxes full of well preserved particles called food and fire flowing at will by flipping a switch. Don’t misunderstand me – I would never express any interest in living in a cave again. Proponents of sustainability by giving up any and all progress are unrealistic and ineffective. It would not resolve much for our civilization as it is.

But to disconnect completely, as we do now,  from understanding, caring and valuing the actual sources of shelter, fire, water and food – is counter-survival. It leads to abuse of Nature close to the point of no return  - putting toxic debris, sprays, sludge in waters, air, soil and consequently in our foods – escapes rationalization. We create modified plants, our food sources, so they would withstand these toxins and then feed it to our children and our animals. We put enough preservatives in “food” so it can stand on a shelf for weeks, how are they suppose to magically decompose in our stomachs?  We spray cotton crops with toxins so insects can’t touch it and then we sleep on it.  Any logic here?

Let’s start by waking  up every day and as we look up to the sky for the sun, let’s give our thanks to the trees for still being there for us, despite everything; to soil still willing to bear us plants, despite everything; to the life around us still willing to persist and forgive us and share with us. Let’s don’t forget to thank the fire for still willing to be born.