The answer to all of the world's problems is sharing. I'm trying to teach my kids about sharing and I see parents all of the time trying to teach sharing to kids. It's not working. Sure, sometimes the Mugwump will share a toy with Sixpence when he's not interested in playing with it, but that's not going to save the world. Real sharing is going to save the world. By real sharing I mean making sacrifices of your personal wants and desires in order to serve the good of others or the community as a whole. Some of this sharing principle is forced upon us and we just need to recognize that we are sharing, no matter what and we need to be considerate of others.
I talked about water and air previously. Of course we will always have to have water and air, everyone will. That means that we are going to have to share. Is it really sharing when the people in Africa don't have clean drinking water and I use my clean drinking water to flush the toilet? Is it really sharing when industry pollutes a river to the point that I can no longer swim in it (not to mention drinking it)? Is it sharing to put bike paths on side streets with stop signs every block while cars get thoroughfares that never have to stop? Is it sharing when inversion is so bad in Utah County that I am not supposed to ride my bike because it is now a health hazard?
If the world is to truly prosper we are going to have to share. This may mean having one car per neighborhood. This may mean sharing rides, even if it makes it a little less convenient for yourself. We live in a very selfish, self absorbed society. If we get out and make some sacrifices and share with those around us we can make huge differences in the world. Did you know that the number one predictor of a low crime neighborhood is knowing your neighbor's name? What is your neighbor's name?
In addition to solving many environmental problems, sharing will bring communities together and increase social capital that is essential to a prosperous society.
1 comment:
Yesterday when I tried to read your blog the website was down, but I am glad I can read the Sharing part 1 blog now.
As you know, sharing will be the order of things at a later time when the gov't of the world is controlled by the one perfect man who ever lived on the earth.
I have often wondered why we don't live in smaller communities. Why is there a push for families to spread apart and live seperately? Why are we wasting so many resources commuting and having our own large houses and driving our own cars when one will do, or we can save money and resources through communal living?
A teacher once told my class of 25 students that if we combined our income for a couple years, we would all be millionaires.
In the old testament several families lived together in one massive sharing community, but I think from reading we can surmise that it is the pride and weakness of man that prevents sharing. The natural man makes this a difficult task, and I strongly suspect that it is one of the challenges of life to overcome that desire to buy and to be voluntarily humble like you chose to be.
For instance, I chose to live in a more expensive apartment because it is brand new, and I knew that if I spent more money, I wouldn't have to listen to loud music, deal with worn and smelly appliances and carpet, and feel trapped among people I couldn't relate to. In short, I didn't want to live amoung the poorest. Is this because I don't want to share? No, I think its because in order to survive comfortably, and not be an insomniac, I need peaceful surroundings. But, if I were forced to live in a slum, I would probably find a way to deal with it.
Hmm...yes...you make me think a lot. I like your blogs!!!
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