Preschool

I wrote the most incredible post yesterday... and then Google ate it. Come on, I expect that from Microsoft, but Google? Anyway, I'm going to try again. This one will likely be shorter because I'm lacking on time.

I saw this picture over at no impact man and thought it was quite fitting. So I've been watching my kids and thinking of their interactions. The one thing that brings me the most happiness and pride in my life is to see them sharing and interacting. Really, it happens sometimes. Seeing the Mugwump (older child) take Six-pence (younger child) a toy or water bottle and just give it to him. You ask why he did that and he responds, "because it looked like he wanted it." Those are the moments when it is great to be a parent. Sure, I live in a home where the kids spend plenty of time fighting over toys, water bottles are access to a kitchen chair, and those are the moments that bring me the greatest headaches.

So sharing, that principle that most emphasized in preschool is really what brings me the greatest happiness. Looking beyond my kids, those moments when someone stops to offer me a hand with a flat tire or invites me to share a meal with them. Those are the moments that mean the most to me. Yet what happens after preschool? Kids don't need supplies in preschool, everything is provided and everything is shared (that's how I remember it anyway, and I went to A LOT of preschool). Kindergarten, on the other hand, you have to have your OWN supplies and we have our OWN desk and we start in with ownership. By high school, you have your OWN locker to store your OWN stuff and your OWN parking spot to park your OWN car. Why do we move away from sharing? (To be fair, I had to share a locker in high school, but I did have my own parking spot).

So what could we share now? How about a lawn mower and garden tools, or even tools in general. How many times have you gone for a walk around the block and noticed everyone using a hammer at the same time? Couldn't the block all share one or two hammers? Why do we each have our own? Lawn Mowers are a little different story because everyone mows their lawn on Saturday morning. Couldn't we sort of stagger that and share a lawnmower? I'm impressed on our block, the neighbor kids mow several lawns in the neighborhood so they can save up money. I think it's great, that way the neighbor kids have one lawnmower and they mow many lawns. Realistically, we could just share the one lawnmower. Could we also share a car? I know that my family could, if we found the right family to share with, but it would take a little planning.

So why don't we share anymore? I'll give it to you in one word... Inconvenience. I'll give you another word that comes to mind... Greed. Right, we need to have our own lawnmower, otherwise we couldn't mow the lawn on Saturday morning when we normally do. We might have to wait to mow the lawn or actually communicate with others in organizing when we will mow the lawn. That would be completely unacceptable (I'm not sure why, but it seems to be). Imagine if we shared all garden tools amongst a small group. That group would be forced to communicate with one another. We could build bonds among our neighbors. Sure, when Dave up the street decides to use the pruning sheers to cut wire, the group gets upset because he has ruined the sheers. But you know what, that doesn't have to be the end of a relationship. We don't have to hate Dave because he broke the sheers, the sheers are replaceable and we can teach him about wire cutters. That's another thing I like seeing my kids doing, solving problems, why don't adults do that any more? I'll give you another word to think about... Pride.

So I want to talk about that picture. Let's look at the big picture (not the picture at the top of the page, but the metaphorical picture). There are things that we are forced to share. The air, the land, water and public space are all great examples. If we don't share nicely it leads to problems. It leads to bigger problems than we expect. For example, I don't like it when passing motorists use the air I'm breathing to exhaust their cars. That makes for air that is hard to breathe. I know, I'm the only one inconvenienced by that... I'm sure the driver of the car didn't mind at all (that's why all cars should be exhausted into the driver's compartment). Let's look at the bigger picture. Did you know that car exhaust is closely linked to cardiovascular disease deaths and asthma? Do you know any children with asthma? Do you have any loved ones who have died of a heart attack? Do you know that your driving contributed to that? If we continue to "progress" by increasing streets and increasing driving, we may see that picture at the top of the page.

Sorry that turned into doom and gloom, I have a different perspective. Get out and enjoy nature. Do your best to share it with others. One of the best way of doing that is sharing resources. Sure it may be less convenient if you don't have your own, but consider it an opportunity to get to know someone better.

Sharing (part II)

So I saved the most important part for today... Sharing responsibility. I think that if people would take responsibility for their own actions the world would be a much better place. Now I seem to have contradicted myself. Here's how I see it:

If you are overweight and you go and sue Macdo because you're overweight, that is just wrong. Nobody has ever forced food down your throat, those are choices that you make and you need to take responsibility and deal with the consequences. I also don't want to let McDonald's off the hook because they use some questionable marketing strategies by targeting children and getting the poor kids hooked on the crack called happy meals. We need to share responsibility.

Although I NEVER go to Macdos, I too can take responsibility for some of the overweight people who frequent fast food restaurants. I have never written a letter of complaint and I've never really taken a stand against them, except on this blog that 4 people read. Does that mean that I'm going to write them a letter? No, I have other things on my plate to keep me busy, but that doesn't mean that I'm not a little responsible. I can live with that.

I have a harder time living with the pollution that I add to the earth and the pollution that I allow others to add to the earth. I am furthering my education so that I can take some action and I do speak up more on that position than on others.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. (I think that is a quote, but I don't know who wrote it.)

Sharing

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.