June 25, 2014 at 9:00 pm

Wow, what a powerful metaphor—eating one’s own young. My stomach feels queasy. Unbridaled growth is extremely self-(and other) destructive. One of my favorite quotes is that of Edward Abbey who said: “growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell”. I’m still in total dismay that none of the investment banker criminals responsible for the subprime mortgage scandal and collapse of the economy have been imprisoned! Greed is a scary and powerful force, and one we often aren’t equipped to contend with both at the societal or personal level. When greed gets out of control or is rewarded we learn that it is something our culture values. The complex and potent economic forces at play can seem beyond our reach to influence. However, something that helps me cope with the powerlessness I often feel related to inequity and economic injustice, is to regularly practice generosity in whatever way I am able to at the time. I have found that in various periods in my life, especially when resources have been more scant, I am even better at being generous. The act of giving—of time, resources, the material, etc.-can be very grounding for me. And, while currently in a period of feeling squeezed, practicing giving or “paying it forward” reminds me that neither money nor the material are as significant as it often seems. For me, it’s just a matter of pushing just a little beyond my comfort zone and then I’m reminded that my own survival and happiness depends on so much more than money and things. There are some truly remarkable altruists, such as the shoe-shiner Kim posted about, but finding one’s own small way to connect with generous nature and spirit inherent in every one of us can be personally healing and contribute to a shift in our cultural values.