Philosophy Friday #3…
People often – and kindly – send me good vibes across the globe, from their homes to my rowboat. I’ve wanted, and tried, to literally feel these vibes, coming at me across the waves. No luck so far, but I’ll keep trying. Maybe it’s like spotting fish, or the “Magic Eye”, and I just haven’t tuned into the right wavelength. It would be very cool indeed if I could feel the energy in the realest sense.
Why am I so eager to feel the force? It’s not just to help me through the day. It’s because I’m intrigued as to whether there are non-technological ways for feelings from one part of the world to be felt in another. And it relates to our urgent need for a shift in consciousness.
The question has been asked: even if the developed world wises up to the fact that we are trashing the Earth in a misguided search for happiness in material things, how do we convey that message to the developing world without looking like self-serving hypocrites? And how can we achieve the necessary amount of change within the time available before it is all too late anyway?
Despite my lack of success in picking up the thought waves across the ether, I believe it can be done. Everything – and everybody – is connected, and via those connections it might just be possible to achieve the shift in thinking that we need. You can interpret this any way you like – spiritually, psychologically, or via word of mouth, quantum mechanics, or the internet. A human being can change their mind in an instant. It is even possible for new ideas to arise spontaneously in more than one place at one time.
Maybe, rather than a massive and spontaneous outbreak of common sense, it will be a domino effect. We will reach a cultural tipping point followed by a cascade of new understanding. Who knows, but that billions of people already have a nagging feeling that things can’t go on as they are, and it will only take a final nudge to trigger a significant and global “a-ha” moment.
But human minds are the hardest, as well as the easiest, things to change. There are so many entrenched beliefs, and attachments to “business as usual”.
As the bumper sticker says, Shift Happens. The question remains, will it?
Other Stuff:
Another day of many seasons today, but I made good progress despite ongoing rough conditions and battling across steep waves. I am listening to “Solar
Rico – thanks for raising the importance of communities working together to resolve issues. I couldn’t agree more. Change is much more likely to stick when people support and reinforce each other’s efforts. Your description of Hardwick in Vermont reminded me of Modbury in Devon, which became the first town in the UK to go plastic-bag free. A woman who lived there (Rebecca Hosking) went with the BBC to make a documentary about the impact of plastic pollution in Hawaii. She was so shocked by what she saw there that when she came home she gave a presentation to all the shopkeepers and persuaded them to introduce the ban. So this is a perfect marriage of “one person can make a difference” with the need for a community to work together.
Martha – hemp is amazing! I remember meeting a hemp evangelist at an event in London. He was so persuasive that I bought a couple of bags of hemp powder to take with me on the Atlantic. Doesn’t taste great, but it’s okay mixed into porridge. Why is it illegal to grow it in the US? Even in Humboldt County?! 🙂
Cousin Juliet – good to hear from you! Much love to you and the family.
Joan – good to hear about the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival. Sounds fun! And good to hear that public events are minimising plastic. It’s a really good way to set a good example for people to take home with them.
Jay – coffee and crumpets in the morning? tea and fruitcake at sunset???!!! just which luxury cruise liner do you think I’m on?!
Photo: time to embrace a new way of thinking. Portrait of Roz by Elena Zhukova at Half Moon Bay, California.
Quote for the day: It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you; it’s the things you know that ain’t so. (Mark Twain)
Sponsored Miles: Thanks go to Niland Mortimer, Anke Altermann and Stanley Miller.
Hi Roz, a quote from The Week magazine. Kenneth Boulding, adviser to JFK: “Anyone who believes in perpetual physical growth on a physically finite planet is either mad or an economist.” Although “Take the bulletproof limo, boss” would have been better, I thought you might like it. Have fun out there, RGJ
I believe that our love of material things comes from our all-too-short lives. Why should we care about the future, when it’ll be someone else who gets the butcher’s bill? Perhaps if we had a personal stake in what happens to the Earth in the next thousand years or so, we’d have a greater interest in what happens to it. While our children are supposed to give us that incentive, they do not, particularly in those parts of the Western world that are selfishly driving all the mindless consumption.
The science fiction concept of life prolongation (not to mention full immortality) would yield many benefits for everyone. It might even save the planet by making us think before we act. It has its down sides, too, but I’d rather wait and deal with *those* after my 900th birthday.
Sounds just like politics, Tom. If those we elect had to be responsible for their decisions beyond the next electoral cycle they may think more seriously about the consequences – GM crops being a good example. I can’t believe Australia is going down that track. 🙁
Roz, shift is happening. One example: at 4:01am an email arrived with the subject: “We won!” from Polly Higgins. Polly is the winner of the People’s Book Prize Award for her book “Eradicating Ecocide: Exposing the Corporate and Political Practices Destroying the Planet and Proposing the Laws Needed to Eradicate Ecocide.”
Polly says this is a vote of confidence by the public for her campaign. In her newsletter, Polly says “a HUGE thank you to all of you who voted and are helping to spread the word about how we can eradicate ecocide. I want to take this law to the UN and you the people are helping me do that. This is true people power!”
Immediately under that news item http://bit.ly/PollyNews22Jul11 is another example in the nexus of events taking place in September:
THE TRIAL
For one day only we will put Ecocide on trial as if the Crime of Ecocide has been made law. That day is the 30th of September 2011 and the venue is the Supreme Court in London. Precisely what the charges will be revealed on the day. It could be charges of ecocide by:
• deforestation
• arctic drilling
• deep sea mining
• mining
• oil spill
• fracking
• unconventional tar extraction
• peat land removal
August and September are going to be a time of earth tipping vibes! Tarsand Action in DC, 24 Hours of Reality, Moving Planet, Ecocide on Trial, and who knows what else is out there? Roz Returns perhaps!!!
Row on laws, Roz!
Hey, Roz! Thanks for the birthday wishes from you and Rita on my Facebook page (via your amazing land-based team of one, I’m sure)!
As a follow up to Philosophy Friday and the daily struggles involved in doing what you do, I want to encourage you to have a Play Play Saturday. Levity in life is as important as struggle to keep your balance and your stamina up.
Maybe readers could send you funny stories or jokes (I’m horrible at jokes, so don’t count on me in that aspect), ditties to sing at the top of your lungs. There must be some sort of game you could dream up to play on your boat. I know it can’t be “spot the Volkswagon Beetle,” but there must be something that you can do at the same time as rowing. Maybe other Rozlings will have suggestions.
Have a fantastic day or evening, depending on when you get to read these.
All my best,
Joan
Joan, what about I spy with my little eye? What would Roz choose?!!!
You feel those vibes all the time . . . they come from that feeling of knowing there are people out there thinking of you, worrying ’bout you, and –yes– living vicariously through you! Even if the emails and sat phone calls were interrupted you’d still feel that energy just because you know/knew people out there are thinking about you.
As for getting the developing world on board with the effort to stop trashing the planet. I think we need to lead by example. The western world already uses so much in the way of resources, resources that we’ve taken from the developing world largely. So what we do is clean up our own mess by reforming our own habits and processes. Give up plastic, eat locally as much as possible, drive less, use artificial lighting only as absolutely necessary, eat and grow organic . . .
If the western world leads by example I really do believe the “developing world” will follow along.
Cynthia, you made my day ;-D
*smile*
I propose a toast!
Dear all, You are cordially invited to a Roz Solidarity Sunset on Saturday, August 13, 2011 at …ah ha… sunset. The full moon will be rising and the Perseid Meteor Showers will attempt to take center stage from her. No doubt that the biggest light shows will be vivid enough to poke through the moon light.
Roz will probably be mashing on sprouts, possibly miso soup, on her cruise ship Sedna. We can go along with that or popcorn or whatever goody/snack you feel appropo. Choice of refreshments are limitless, I know I have mine 🙂
My proposal is for us to celebrate at sunset at our own time zones. (About 8:05pm) …plus or minus a minute or two for good measure.
My next thought would be a little trickier: Celebrate it twice, once on your own time zone and once during Roz’s. (GMT+6, yet to be confirmed, Doug?). If calculations are correct, about 7:05am (PST).
It would be a response to today’s blog about sending good vibes, I believe it is possible. In fact, just the post with the mention of it, imho, makes it undeniably true.
More to come regarding more exact times. But for now:
Saturday August 13 at 7:22 pm(PST) rises a full moon
Also coinciding with 2011 Perseid Meteor Showers
Topped off with an almost simultaneous twilight beginning at 8:05 pm(PST)
Find a veiw scape (lake or granite mountain top without obstructing trees) to celebrate the beauty of courage, compassion and happiness! Let’s send some vibes that help pull Senda’s oars!
Solidarity Sunset
Lunar Levity
Accumulation Apogee
🙂 Jay~
Row Roz Row!
Jay, I believe she is officially still using WST (Perth) time, but I believe your estimate is pretty good … if she is smack dab in the middle of that big body of water I would say her sundown is as you predict., plus or minus a half hour for good measure ;-D
Jay, I raise a glass of oatmeal stout to Roz
(inspired zen a wee bit by beatles)
when you be half way
thread the eye of a needle
hey! good day sunshine
Row tastily and toastily, Roz!
Hi Roz – with respect to feeling the energy of others – there have been experiments on that. Adam Dreamhealer led one that I participated in (remotely). A subject was hooked to an EEG – she had no idea of what time the experiment would start. Thousands of us around the world and some at one of Adam’s workshops opened a picture of Christine and we all used a specific intention. The results on her brain were measurable.
What I wasn’t prepared for is what I felt – I didn’t expect to feel anything. As soon as I opened up that picture and started the intention – I felt energy in my brain. I can’t explain what happened but it was like a very alive deeply meditative state.
You can read a bit about it here
http://www.intentionheals.com/projects
I think we can extrapolate this sort of result. It is no different than the meditation experiments and the impact on violence. Trying to ‘talk’ violence away does not work. Talking about violence has the opposite impact – it creates violence and fear.
It is the same for the environment – my view is that as a society, we need to focus on the positive and stop ‘shoulding and musting’ all over people. They tune out. And by our judgment of them – we create negativity which impacts our planet in a hugely negative way. Mother Earth is in crisis – mostly due to our behaviour but also due to our thoughts. We have become a very negative group even though we lead very privileged lives. Much of our conversations are blaming, complaining and justifying. I recognize that I am somewhat ‘out there’ in my beliefs but through organizations like Shift2012 and pushforpeace – I think we can start making a difference – through positive energy. And leading by example.
Just my opinion!
Karen, at risk of appearing judgmental: Good!
Unca Doug – I think of ‘good’ as “support” not judgment 🙂
And thanks!
Hi Roz,
I don’t think you really need to feel good vibes. And even if you could, how could you whose they were? And isn’t a vibe almost by definition only a very subtle force? In the end, you’re the one who has to row the boat.
As for developed countries, they aren’t so bad. It’s the undeveloped countries we need to worry about. At least the developed countries can see where they’re screwing up. The underdeveloped countries are still infatuated with the developed country bling and oblivious to what they’ll lose in the process achieving it. And there are more of them than developed coutnries.
Marijuana can’t make any headway in the US for two reasons:
1. General ignorance from older politicians, bureaucrats, and law enforcement officers who still believe “Reefer Madness” is a reliable source.
2. A monsterous law enforcement bureaucracy dedicated to the War on Drugs. As an old boss of mine once said: “Where you sit is where you stand.” There’s too many paychecks on the line to allow legalization.
#2 is the biggest reason. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if drug cartels secretly lobbied against legalization too.
Clearly we still need to differentiate between Industrial Hemp (<.05% active THC) and Medical Marijuana and Recreational Pot (5 -20% THC).
Aloha Chica Bonita! Happy day 80! Wowzers you are amazing. Sending waves of love, light & aloha your way.* A las ninas!
Love the August 13th idea Outside Jay! And Roz, we have invited four bee hives to live on the flat overlooking the orchard. They are busily working among the trees making some honey for your London row!
Roz – Your comments reminded me of Ken Kesey’s “Hundreth Monkey” story from 1980. Here is the Author’s Foreword from the book (http://www.hundredthmonkey.net) I assume you know the story?
“Two events converged
on me this summer. They supplemented each other and gave
me the inspiration and added push I needed. They made me
respond to the urgency I had felt brewing in me for some
time to express my concern about the worldwide danger of
nuclear weapons.
The first event was
my viewing the videotape “The Last Epidemic,” taken at a
symposium held in November, 1980 on the unacceptability
of nuclear weapons for human health. I was deeply impressed
by the physicians and scientists who brought their knowledge
and eloquence to that meeting. Their stature and level of
experience, insight and courage left no doubt in my mind
that my priorities had to be rearranged. I had to add my
voice and speak out now!
The second experience
was my exposure to the Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon, which
I learned about in talks by Marilyn Ferguson and Carl Rogers.
This phenomenon shows that when enough of us are aware of
something, all of us become aware of it.
That concept confirmed
my own intuitive trust in the basic tenet of my work — that
the appreciation and love we have for ourselves and others
creates an expanding energy field that becomes a growing
power in the world. This radical new support gives me the
counterbalance of hope to offset the doomsday story of nuclear
destruction.
There is no need to
feel helpless or get paralyzed by hopelessness. We know
we have the power to make changes if we can join together
and raise our voices in unison. There is more power in numbers
that we ever hoped to dream about! I call for us to let
our numbers grow exponentially as we all take it on ourselves
to spread these messages.
We are the bearers
of a new vision. We can dispel the old destructive myths
and replace them with the life-enriching truths that are
essential to continued life on our planet.”
St. Mary, Kentucky
Ken Keyes, Jr.
December, 1981
Roz,
Just thought you might be interested in the headlines:
“NATO hands off control in an Afghani capital.”
“Pot-Au-Prince, Haiti Getting back to normal”
“Amazon to rent digital books to college students on Kindle”
“Extreme Swim” 61 year old Diana Nyad is preparing for a 103 mile swim Cuba to Key West.
“Obama supports bill to repeal marriage law” (Gay rights)
Shuttle Atlantis is home – last shuttle ever.
US consumers are spending at half of 2008 level
President Obama: “Go ‘big’ on debt deal (no more spending more than we take in.)
Bomb blast in Oslo, Norway
11 million dying in a famine in East Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya) due to militant group fighting and keeping Western aid out.
“Forklift drops $1 million wine shipment”
(….I had to throw that last one in there! 🙂 🙂 ….)
Good vibes coming your way!!
JohnH
Yeah, what she said!
Yeah, what she said!
The people gave a great shout and the walls came tumbling down.
The people gave a great shout and the walls came tumbling down.
It is possible the “developing world” lives lighter on the earth than the “developed world”.
Roz, I am sending you shed loads of good vibes right now and throughout the duration of your latest amazing voyage.
Your blogs are great and so thought provoking.xShana
Solidarity Saturdays. I love it. I think we should start tomorrow. Sending Roz good vibes every Saturday (and every day). I see a pattern developing here. Philosophy Friday, Solidarity Saturday, can Larabar Lundi be far behind?
I also love Karen Morss’ beehives. I’m a huge fan of bees. And by the way, anyone who hasn’t tried Karen and the Lemon Ladies’ lemons, definitely should. They’re delicious, and you can find them (http://lemonladies.com/) at her website. They are a million times better than what you’re finding at your local grocery store. So … Support Rozlings!
Hey, ROZ …. What about “JIMMY-IN-DALLAS”. HUH??
Oh, yes. I’ve been following your every post! I’m sitting here on top of my mountain at San Simeon (central California coast) looking west into the setting sun at the vast Pacific knowing it’s pre-dawn for you & hoping all is well in your internal & external world. U R without doubt the ultimate adverturer. BUT, it’s really the spirit within that drives us & is so very precious.
Please stay safe. Study the heavens at night … for that is where the true essence resides.
Nite / Morning, awesome girl …
Jim Rhoades ;-D
Rico and Jay, you are on to something BIG! Today a friend at ClimateReality.com shared one of three fun videos (I wish Roz could see now) that are posted at http://www.wherethehellismatt.com which features Matt Harding dancing badly to a catchy tune (Roz, you might hum, sing or whistle the tune next time you cross the equator). Matt dances badly but he generates good will, peace and harmony as locals join him in their own interpretation of his silly dance … in many places Roz has been … or not …
Matt makes no attempt to explain plastic pollution, habitat destruction, the nutritional value of processed food, hunger, drought, extreme weather events, climate change, or any other social ills — that is your job Roz — but he does carry a fun message and is in some way helping shift to happen in Antarctica, Solomon Islands, Brussels, Palau, Chicago, Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, Brisbane, Atlanta, Vancouver BC, Washinton DC, Dublin, Berlin, Sydney, Brunei, Aukland, Bangkok, Bolivia, Brisbane, London, Cologne, Singapore, Los Angeles, Seattle, NYC, South Shetland Islands, Paris, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Venice CA, New Zealand, Sao Paulo, Arizona, Bhutan, N. Ireland, Vava’u (with a whale), Tonga, and many more places you will surely visit in the near future as your ripples spread farther and wider.
There is no poignant message, but Matt generates good feelings with people responding amicably, having fun all around the globe — an incredible variety of ethnicities, religions, cultures, beliefs, privilege, poverty, political views. When I think of your commitment and responsiveness to us, I get a good feeling, especially when I think of your humming Hawaii Five-O at the equator not long ago … [smile] … we all dance with you, Roz, because you are making shift happen.
Row like a http://bit.ly/DancingNut, Roz!
(Roz, Matt is a fun example of Derek Sivers’ “lone nut”)
Here is a plastic bottle use I had not expected. Not ideal but no coal plants needed for lighting. Have a look. Your thoughts?
http://www.good.is/post/liter-of-light-outfits-filipino-shacks-with-plastic-bottle-solar-bulbs/
Right on track Roz. Since everything is made of electrons – the exchange is constant and instantaneous. Faster than we can think – it happens. When you feel that flow and I hope it is only an eye dropper the first time. The feeling can be strong – like a head shaking moment – “what just happened”? You are on the edge of ready. You write as if you are already drinking sips from the cup. This flow might arrive on your second awakening( the obit being the first)? If you are sending – you will receive it. Like life art – just let it come in the form that is. You will glow when you know it. It is emotional planetary gardening. Yes , better than standing at the end of a double rainbow!
I’m cranking up the vibes for you Roz!
& having a piece of carrot & celeriac cake with a cup of tea.