I’ve been thinking all day about the stock market crash in the U.S. (and, to a lesser degree here in Canada) and the social unrest that may result.  I’ve been through a “bad market” when I was a young stock broker in l969.  It was no fun to see my money disappear.  Luckily for me, I had started a business when times were good that gave me a job to go to when the market tanked.  Yes, I lost everything, but I had made my money on the market and that is always a gamble.  No one should ever be covered for gambling debts.

We have all known for a long time that the gluttony of our culture had to come to an end.  Even the reality shows on TV are about young couples living way beyond their means.  Now, we have a huge opportunity in front of us.  We may have to get to know our neighbours and co operate on bulk food purchasing.  We may need to wear our jackets indoors all winter.  We may need to get our bicycles out and start riding to work.  We might only be able to eat locally grown food and forget the exotic imports this winter.  The writing has been on the wall for a long time and we can now do it willingly and gratefully or we can do it with a pout.  Either way, the time is here to stop polluting, wasting and lazing around.  Time to stop lining up for lattes like a bunch of sheep and spending our money to numb ourselves out.

Now that we know the melamine is in the baby formula in China, it’s time to get ALL our sisters successfully breastfeeding, no matter what it takes.  We are a global village and we know that a disaster in China will be on our shores shortly.  Let’s wake up while there is time.  Let’s demand the cutting of baby boys’ genitals stops immediately.  The expense is obsene and so is the danger of a killer MRSA infection.  Midwives will be needed in massive numbers now.  People will no longer be able to afford hospital birth and the doctors will be needed for medical problems.  Every midwife should be followed around by at least 2 students in these days.

We have the opportunity in this crisis to step forward and create a world that works for everyone with no one left out.  What a deep sense of satisfaction will await the American people when they show the leaders what kind of heart they have.  Urge your friends and family to turn off the TV, have a garage sale, live simply, cut up the credit cards and start improvising.  I’d love to hear from you what efforts you’re making to leave a smaller footprint on our dear Mother Earth.