Consumptionitis

Consumption has become synonymous with waste. We are what we consume; and what we leave behind. As you read this you are consuming the words that I have written. If you are listening to music you are consuming that just the same. Of course everything you put in your body is consumption be it food or drugs or even the air you breathe. Sociologists and anthropologists remark that what you purchase defines you as an outward expression of individuality. What does it say about you when the thing you buy has nothing to do with you at all?

When we buy something it is assumed that we have consciously decided to consume said object. Suppose you did, then by virtue of your free will you have come to possess material goods for which you trade money. What if you didn't buy the object of your desire of your own volition? Perhaps this means that you have been manipulated into purchasing it. You could ask, did I need this item or did I want this item.

 

Money is the equivalent of work, so it can be said, "How much work does this object cost?" But not all work is created equal. Your work is not connected to the work taken to produce the product and money is only signifies the wage at which your work was done. Any product or good may have a much different working wage connected to it, hence its price reflects the cost of production. When companies want to set a lower price point they pay their workers less. The price you pay is set so that you can accept the price, not so that the people who made it can be paid fairly.

There are factors outside of your mind that might lead you to a purchase. Internally you know the purchase is bad for you or that you really don't need the item. Yes, advertisements work, it has been proven. They have worked on you and you didn't even know it. They have worked on me. Sales, coupons, bogo's, tents, balloons, these are all external stimuli that can persuade you to buy. It is healthy then to have a strong aversion to adverts. They hurt your bottom line, your well being, and the planet where you keep all your stuff. If you are to make a decision that is true to yourself, you can not trust anything that has been marketed to you. Some times peer pressure and status drive us to buy. The need to acquire things to fit your social group often drives people to spend beyond their means.

Things just show up in our lives and we can't seem to get a handle on all of them. Consumption of things that you don't really need is a disease. You are infected, it is a neuro-degenerative plague. Buy and don't think is the motto. You use your hard earned cash to line the pockets of the corporate juggernaut. Things take up space not only in the physical but the virtual space of mind. Your cognitive ability to remember all the things that you have is finite. This virtual space in your mind costs precious computing power.

Today is Christmas, many of you have already bought gifts for friends and loved ones. What do you imagine would become of these people in your life if you didn't give them a gift this year? I can tell you from experience they will not care, not for long anyway, and soon enough even if you bought them a gift they will forget all about it too. You see gifts are a short lived pleasure, a small rush of serotonin and dopamine, for both giver and receives.

In an essence by not giving someone a gift you have given them something better. When you save your money, time, and stress not driving to every store in town or scouring the internet you have kept that which would have been given away. You give the gift of forgetting all the pleasantries, the cards, the cash, the receipts, there is no need for reciprocation, there is no regret of a gift that just gets tossed, there is no feigning of thankfulness. Retaining a solvency that provides more piece of mind and forgoes distraction from the necessities of life.

I am not advocating that you give up all your worldly possessions, on the contrary. I urge you to buy the things that matter, the things that might cost a little more because they are quality. The money you save not buying cheap gifts for friends can make the things you do have more enjoyable.

Things can not make you truly happy. Only a knowledge that you are an individual of character and depth, with a supporting cast of friends and family. The things you need will come to you.

Modern men are mistaking the means of life for its purpose. In order to possess the means, they are sacrificing the goal.

Reikichi Kita and Kiichi Nagaya

Observing Nature

Out there is a world that we can barely grasp. In trees there is extraordinary life and we can barely see it. The lichens on the bark, the wood borers hard at work, the birds in the branches, the caterpillar wrapped up in a leaf. The roots that we almost never see, are a cathedral of life. Human processing has limitations and the natural system far exceeds our ability to comprehend.

The tree that blew over now lying flat on the ground is hardly dead, only it's function has changed. How alive is just one tree? moving water from aquifers to the sky, providing for you and I, moving further than we can imagine in the breeze and toward the sun. You know all this, but again, you can barely see it.

Observation takes time. The natural world does not move at the same pace as we do, although we could attempt to move at the same pace as it. Getting closer to nature is as easy as immersing yourself, go out into the woods a meadow, or even a park, you don't have to travel far. Nature exists in a crack in the sidewalk, no need to jump in your car.

Humans struggle to be the masters of their domain, without attention to the life that already supports us unquestioningly. The attitude that we can fix it, that there is enough out there for everyone for all time to be plundered is short sighted. There is enough out there for everyone if only we understood how to see it.

 As humans we need names to help organize the world, learn the names of plants, learn the names of insects, learn whatever you can. In this age of information the resources are plenty.
Encyclopedia of Life

The human mind is a buzz with thoughts that distract them from the truth in front of their eyes. Our connection with nature is a relationship that we have neglected and it's on the fray. Intuition is flawed and gut feelings are disastrous in the face of natures complexity. Observation requires that we accept the feedback, and is the only way to interact with a system that is ultimately out of our control. Balance in nature happens one way or the other. We have to work on recognizing the signs that are provided by every living thing. 

 

Observation is not easy when an action is called for. Observation is an action, and beyond that processing that observation also takes time. When action is taken with a large machine there is less thought and more destruction. Once the gears are turning, there is almost no stopping them. The realizations from observation required to solve a problem may not arise until seemingly unconnected information is presented.

Observe, hypothesize, observe, react small, observe again. Realize the resources that you already have. People are great resources, so is an untapped stream. Learn from past observations, records and books. Know your surroundings, the climate, the natural order of things, the whole web of life. Don't let your preconceived notions get the best of you, don't let the world in front of you become a wash of disorder in your mind.

Memory won't serve when it comes to all that nature has to offer. Use drawings or photographs to document your observations. Write a description in a note pad. Take notice of the soil, what is growing there and the time of year, any wildlife you encounter, the sounds and smells, everything and anything that catches your attention. Get down on your hands and knees and absorb the world as the wildlife does. Just for a moment forget the life you left behind.

The global crisis is a local problem, one that has to be solved with efforts here and now. In other words inaction is not an option. But, what is the appropriate action?

Let your observation guide you.

Living Daylight

House Plants

I try to be as selective as possible with the amount of plants that I winter over indoors. I never water my plants with city/tap water so I often have to break through the ice on my pond mid winter to get more water. This takes effort, just convincing myself to go outside is tough enough at this time. Even so it is great to have some green throughout the winter, and because I am an addict I can't help myself.

 A few of them I can't imagine living without.

My Avacado J(H)esus

Of course Jesus would not survive outdoors in the winter. His broad leaves do wonders for air purification, but they also transpirate on overdrive, keeping on top of his watering schedule is important.  Quite a tree for such a small pot, I will think about transplanting him in the spring, but I am not sure I could handle the growth spurt. Jesus is yet to set fruit, but the guy is only 4 yrs. old.

The plant on the right is Stevia. I am sure you seen the commercials for this sugar alternative that was popular for a hot second. The first time I put a leaf in my mouth I was blown away by how sweet it was. As you can see now she is flowering, which makes the leaves much less sweet as energy is sent to reproductive organs. With a lack of bees I tried to ensure pollination by tapping the clusters of flowers together. Bow chicka bow bow.  I will see how the plant reacts once seeds are formed.

no window sill left unplanted

This Kaffir Lime is a new addition this year, a Craig's List find. The cacti were a gift to my brother from an ex-girlfriend. They were orphaned in the breakup, I adopted them. Cacti need much less attention than a woman, watering once a month is about it really.

An Introduction to Sepp Holzer (der agrar rebell)