Ecotopian Geriatrics by Tom Ward, late January 2009
MEMO: How to Deal with True Believers
TO: USA Empire Deconstruction Commission
Division of Truth and Reconciliation
FROM: Self-interested Parties (All Sentient Beings)
DATE: Winter of Discontent
[Diagnosis]
Welcome to the World of Ecotopian Matriarchs and Patriarchs!
(At least we have both!)
Some politely refer to such as Old Growth Teachers.
[Etiology]
There are many paths to this distinction:
1. Actually raise children; try to hold together extended family and preside over (our multicultural, synergistic) traditions.
2. Be drafted; by being somewhat competent at any set of useful skills, because facilitation is desperately needed.
3. Survive multiple traumas (long list here); gain some wisdom while adopting a convenient personality that folks learn to live with; one becomes as indispensable as one can and one forgets (at least at moments) the adjustive mechanism.
4. Have a performance personality; a need for the adoration of the crowd; some skill at adjusting one’s shtick as the generations march past the stage; teachers, jugglers, musicians, thespians, politicians, organizers, activists, physicians.
5. Basically, because of multiple experiences and shear survival, one becomes welded to various personal othernesses and becomes available to community as in a job description that may at best keep one out of trouble while new Ecotopian modes swirl off as they must while some mysterious We evolves/changes (mimetics, new age iconography, philosophical diets, psychological therapy trends, music, political correctness).
6. Be eliminated from mainstream careers and recognition because of: political ideology (blacklist), cultural (lifestyle) choice, drug tests, oaths of allegiance, prison or street fighting or military experience, ignored extra-academic peoples’ science, traditional loyalties (tribal, ethnic, race or gender), or bad uppity attitude. Some elders have been at this all their lives and they consider the revolt to be still in motion (many generations more may be needed) and can come across as ranters, egotistical grandstanders or hucksters. (Are we not moving into the post-post-modern era of Web 3.0: collaborative freeware in a virtual world without all that messy organic stuff?)
[Prescription]
Now, how do we deal with these dinosaurs? In general, they should calm down if we give them recognition. Think of special hats, commemorative sashes, reserved seating, titles/awards/applause. It’s not that hard. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder types need to tell their story (hopefully in writing or recorded so we busy change artists do not have to listen too many times and then act disrespectfully). They also have many post-carbon relevant skills to share.
Perhaps we could set up some “Ecosteries’? Sort of like Monastery, but for Nature Hermits. We certainly could use more eyes on the land and more eco-stewards/care-takers. Many ecotopian elders benefit from Nature Therapy. All we need is an end to the drug wars, guaranteed annual income and a Cottagers Co-op to keep stewardship covenants by contract.
Taoism perhaps learned long ago that a good place for crotchety intellectuals and poets, sufficiently medicated, was up on a mountain in a little (low energy use) hut. Perhaps this could be on an Eco-Tourism path.