Life Is Not a Free Ride

Under the influence of current national politics, irresolvable international strife and a badly damaged global environment, the looming economic turmoil has the potential to worsen the cost of already troubled areas of life – food, medical care and shelter. It hardly matters what more positive changes occur in the near term; the momentum of declining quality of life seems overwhelming. We must do what we can to “gird our loins,” to salvage at least the basics of our accustomed lives, but not simply go back to what was.

We must not strive to recover the life we had, in a cycle of backward leapfrogging. We must instead deal with the conditions that are and plan for a future with justice, equity, and stability, here and abroad. After the fire, forward-looking survivors create water reserves and firebreaks while planting saplings and building new homes.

We must plan for a future in which everyone has a place and uses it responsibly. Mostly, we must understand that all life has value. We must work together. In the future, we must be focused on surviving, not just winning. We cannot continue as competing teams, or we will grind down the planet to a point at which it can no longer support life.

We must override the political short-term strategy and accept that we are morally responsible for the future consequences of our decisions and actions today. Life is not a free ride. We will pay a price one way or another.