The slow erosion of heart and soul

Unlike some who were anticipating with dread the full impacts of peak oil and its associated economic domino effects, I expected evidence to be less stark and sudden. As with most transitions like the Great Depression, while there were events such as the 1929 stock market crash, the full effects of the crash, bank failures, and business closures took several years to fully play out. As it occurred in slow motion and brick by brick, people's lives became incrementally more difficult and sometimes hard to detect if your own circumstances were less acute.

Quiet desperation is a good cliche to apply to the situation we face today. We see many people go about their business as if nothing serious were the matter. Yet even the comfortably ensconced middle class are going out to dinner less, shopping at the discount grocery instead of the upscale natural food store, and taking less day trips over the weekend. Here in Massachusetts, we received word from the Attorney General that this winter will be devastating to the low and moderate income populations related to heating and even the middle class will be severely impacted. But typical polite conversation doesn't include these concerns as we continue to talk about the baseball playoffs, the admittedly crucial election, and of course the economic bailout plan. Little consideration is given to the car sleepers in Santa Barbara, the people who use their stoves to heat their homes, abandoned children and pets, and the many who use one credit card to pay another or their mortgage or the baby food.

Of course one problem is the immense pride that most of us have to not be identified as in need or in trouble. How many people are found mummified or frozen in their homes because they were too proud to ask for help and, of course, because they did not have anyone checking on them. I personally wonder how people and families can go homeless if they have a living sibling or parent who could take them in. Even a friend, cousin, or aunt should be considered fair territory in seeking temporary assistance in a life threatening crisis. Certainly personal independence is a hallmark of American identity but in many ways, this is unnecessary individualism and anti-community. It does not build in the resilience needed in a crisis and leads to far greater problems in the end. We will need to reconsider the model of isolated two generation families and reconsider the merits and resilience of extended family households. Concurrently, our concepts of empathy, patience, and understanding will also need to be remolded to facilitate these changes. Instead of marginalizing grandparents (and other family members), research shows they can have a stabilizing impact during economic hard times. They also can add a richness to the experiences of the children in a household.

In the coming weeks and months, provided the economy does not totally implode and oil shortages do not become more acute, we will be facing a difficult winter but one that will allow us to begin establishing a stronger community. We can use this time to build networks, engage in emergency preparedness, and get to know our neighbors better. We are going to need this network because, as I have previously noted, civility and community will be a vital element in a future that will give new meaning to the term hardship.