Sustainability

What does this word mean?

I like Estella's Revenge definition: a way to grow your own food on less than 1/4 of an acre. But what does it mean in terms of values whether economic, emotional, or spiritual. Having said this, I live in the grand state of Texas now for 5 years. I've learned there are portion sizes and there are Texas-sized portions. I don't want to lecture about obesity as I have a few extra (10 or 20 lbs) myself!

Sustainability in its most basic definition means I have what I need, take only what I need, and give back the extra as a free gift. I might even call this a spiritual principle. What happened to our society that previously allowed for this type of giving (and may still in some areas of the planet)? Were things too "socialized" for people so they decided to get greedy, or did fear of the stranger, foreigner, or unknown creep into the minds of folks keeping them from even considering such a thought- their minds pervaded by terror? As I teach a diversity class the word terror has a terrorizing effect on people and it is used very liberally in mass media. And if you don't think sustainability and terror go hand in hand, think again.

Safety is considered a basic human right that many do not have the quite the privilege of enjoying. It is one of the foundational rights of life in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs only second to food and water. As Americans and our still disproportionate amount of "stuff" we have accumulated, we fear loss of our safety possibly only second to loss of our "stuff." I can admit I don't want to lose my stuff I worked to earn the money to buy (all the contents that fit into a 700 square foot one-bedroom apartment). The question this begs, however, does my stuff define me? Because if it does, how sad for me. And this is where the paradigm shift takes place.
The question is, what do I value if I do not want shear materialism to define me and not just because it's not cool, but because it's not what this world needs at this point in history.

What about the houses that stand empty of people (not furniture) because it is one house of two or three that a wealthy family owns, and then what of the people who are homeless in record numbers because unemployment insurance was not continue a third time in favor of bringing down the Federal deficit? When I worked in a homeless shelter every client, before gaining admittance, were "shaken down" about any family or friends s/he could stay with because the shelter was only for people who had NO ONE and NOTHING or NO STUFF like the basics-food and clothing or at least very limited. What happened to the value of judging a country by how it takes care for its young, elderly, and feeble?

What will happen in our economic downturn? How will it force us to re-define American values and what we mean by the word "humanity"? I am not supposing we will solve world hunger, end war, or even poverty because we are all too apathetic for that. But what about how our values can change so we can create a sense of "being taken care of" by each other? Is this the definition of community or socialism? I can answer this question without fear. It is what allows me to get some sleep at night and consider retiring here in my country of origin instead of feeling "pushed out" because there is always some conservative camp wanting to preserve my one in a .15% chances of earning (stealing) millions and a possibly spot on the next reality show where I can win my 15 minutes of fame and possibly millions-because this is living in reality, right? So, let's keep up the Wall Street charade of capitalism and refuse re-organization for fear of socialism. I have news---the world has changed. Are we going to find solutions going forward or hang onto the past?
Sustainability-living in such a way that people feel secure in sharing the resources necessary for survival and (maybe even) better enjoyment of life. Building the value of sustainability means cultivating interpersonal relations and friendships with the value of taking care of each other as a foundational principle.