I sit here in my modest home, with my modest belongings and
know that I am only a month away from bankruptcy. I know that if I lost my job, or had some
major illness, my little shop would disappear.
My shop doesn't pay the bills, in fact, I work my mundane job so that I
can afford to throw some clay, make some jewelry and go out to various events
around the local area.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson - 2013 Sosanna's Closet - Beltane Festival - Newport News, VA |
I have a website and a shop site on the various sellerpages. I might sell a few pieces a
month, but for the most part, my personal business is not self-sufficient. I've worked at the same job for nine years
now. I love my job. It suits me.
I’m able to work a fully day and feel at least somewhat rewarded in
helping others.
Because my job is online, I spend a great deal of time
sitting in front of a terminal, with glowing screens and the rat tat tat of the
keyboard being the most organic sound I hear all day. I do this so that we can have our modest home
and so I can pour myself into the creative outlet I call Sosanna’s Closet.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson - 2012 Sosanna's Closet - Yule Bazaar - Wilson, NC |
I would love to be wildly successful. I would love to have people commission pots
or order jewelry from me from around the world.
But at this point, I’m happy to get a few comments and maybe a few likes
on Facebook. I’m ok with having that I
have. I’m sure living like Beyonce or
maybe getting paid what our government officials in Washington get paid might
be nice, but I’m really OK with just having my simple life.
My needs are met. I
have bills. I have debt. But my lights are on and I’m not going
hungry. To me, having what you need
should be a basic human right. When we
collect more than what we need, most see that as some sort of illness.
Let's look at hoarders for example. The collect more and more and more until
their house literally can fall down around them. Their looked at a sick and in need of
therapy. They accumulate more and and more
until the walls are piled high with items and you can no longer see the
floor. We send out cameras and create
reality shows about these people. We
shake our heads and think how pitiful they are.
Yet, when someone collects more and more money. We see them as some sort of success. They cannot eat their money, or breathe that
money.
Gandhi said – the earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.
This is such a true statement to me. Recent discussions in social media avenues
have led to some of my friends complaining that THEY are paying for people who
don’t want to work. Or they are paying
for healthcare for lazy people. Really?
The changes in healthcare hit me pretty hard. Our deductible when up and our coverage
down. I’m pretty healthy so, I could
handle the changes. Plus, now there are
some kids out there who are able to get health care. I’m ok with that. I’m willing to share what I have, though it’s
not much, with those in need.
People are not homeless because there are not enough homes…
A long time ago I was listening to a George Carlin stand up
and he started in on golf courses. He
started talking about how homelessness is some abstract frame of mind and what
these people really need are houses.
NSFW - George Carlin on Homelessness
I've
watched over the last 3-4 years, where Detroit
has offered homes as low as $500 to encourage people to move back to the failing
city. They even started a campaign to
revitalize the city by offering
writers a free house!
Over the last few months I've watched the movie set “Zeitgeist”
and found reference to The
Venus Project. Started by Jacque Fresco, the Venus
Project looks at changing to a resource based economy. We focus on sustainable living and natural resources. We change our lives with other by changing
how we work with one another. We could
end war and poverty if we just stopped looking at what we can own and start
looking at what we can share.
Utopia.
Recently I had some shingles ripped up off my house from a
wind storm. I had someone come over and
repair them for a dozen eggs from my hens and a homemade pumpkin pie.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson My Hen |
I’m not suggesting that we all head down to Wal-Mart with
our basket of eggs to try to get an iPad.
What I am suggesting is that if we start locally. Small and help our neighbor, live just might
get a bit better for us all. Maybe one day, everyone will have an iPad, and no one will be hungry.
With that I send blessings for a more socialized society.
Namaste
& Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
No comments
Post a Comment