Living on the Edge ,
Why I Stopped Being a “Prepper”,
I am no longer standing at the edge looking into the abyss , that time has passed. Along with the move to rural self sufficiency and being on the land.
That was a time of healing and the hope that a sanctuary from Climate Chaos could be created. But sanctuaries can be lonely places of toil , that cannot be held safely in uncertain futures. They need communities from across the generations, so that purpose and work can be shared.
To leave the land that I had tended , that had nourished and sustained me was a conscious decision . A letting go of a beautifully built, off grid, passive house, the land and the way of life that went with it. A recognition that I am not sustainable and the dreams of my city loving family joining me had long faded.
A new life needed to be created on the edge, based on my awareness of all the big problems and how the encroaching collapse is happening in our society.
I think of myself as a cultural scout , always ahead of the proverbial wagons. Studying the terrain , looking for danger as well as support and what can be done.
Now, I watch humans continue their destructiveness , apathy, fear and injustices knowing this is all part of our evolution . In the past and even now there is much talk and many actions to change , fix and fight the problems and systems we have. That reality is no longer credible to me, the lies that we can save, control and create a beautiful future for all creatures are bankrupt.
Still the last few months of my scouting has found outposts of practicality and major ways that a different world could emerge . New economic, cultural and political systems that could enable many of us to walk away from the empires that dominate the old world.
Whether we have enough time, numbers and resources is questionable, yet I believe it is vital to contribute to that possibility. All that we see and use has come from imagination , we can all imagine and live a kinder future now and that could be our legacy.
This is a quote I love from Anandati Roy
Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. Maybe many of us won’t be here to greet her, but on a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing.”
Here in my local town after long months of separation and many differences there is a growing recognition that we need to be uplifted and celebrate our creative, resourceful community for the coming times.
So nowadays you will find me on the edge , sometimes I am dancing, maybe walking with a friend or laughing with my Granddaughter. Each moment is so precious, all is treasured . This is my soul journey , an offering of the intensity of my love for life. An acceptance of all that is with no attachment to outcomes. The choice to travel with joy and gratitude through this beautiful and broken world. Knowing that anything is possible in the great unknown over the edge.
Thank you for being on this journey at this pivitol time .
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