As I washed all of the dishes from preparing and eating a meal that two of my friends had prepared and we all shared, using the gravity rain-water system we have here on the farm, I watched the water pressure change from strong and thick to weak and thinned. What if all of our resources were like this? What if we were connected enough to what we have, especially the finite resources, so that we could actually witness their disappearance in direct correlation to what we were doing and how much we were using? We are all capable of speeding up our shower routine to get out when the hot water starts running out yet have no problem luxuriating in a steamy stream when it’s available to us. What if every action forced us to face its direct consequence, if cause and effect played out before our very eyes?
Similarly, what if we had to work more for every ounce of energy we extract and utilize? Suddenly necessity and luxury would have entirely different ratios and definitions, our lives would be shaped by our surroundings, our output by our input, our current actions by our past and future actions. Sure, it’s fine to splurge and treat yourself, but only with the understanding and recognition that those actions will directly result in additional work and resources at a later time, or a rationing that we had either completed or were about to embrace.
It always amazes me when I get back from a trip and unpack and look at all that I didn’t use. Then I look around my living space and see all that I lived without. When I began downsizing my life and seeking out simpler alternatives I was amazed by how little I felt impacted by the lack of things I thought I so desperately needed. Like the first time you manage to go without a cigarette, or a high, or a drink, and you actually feel good. Like when you speed up your shower routine or get ready really quickly then wonder why it takes you so long to accomplish the same things when you have time on your side. As I was doing dishes and watching the water stream lessen and lessen, I began fine tuning my washing methods, even though I had already been using what I thought was enough caution. I discovered new patterns of soaping and rinsing that allowed me to accomplish the same task using much less water, and much more thought.
Imagine if we applied that everywhere in our lives and our world. If we all took only exactly what we needed and constantly worked to achieve the same (or better) results with less and less energy input. If we had to watch our environment evaporate, weaken, and disappear right before our very eyes, in direct correlation to our actions. If we had to take responsibility to ourselves, our survival, our gluttonous use of resources we have no concept of or relationship with. How much more conscious we’d be, how much smarter we’d work, how many methods we would create and share to lessen, lessen, lessen our impact, and build back the stores we will need to tap into tomorrow.
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