Finding decent employment in today’s world is very difficult. It isn’t easy to get a job, yet alone a very ethical job. I am elderly (and retired from being a teacher of the multiply handicapped) and it was even tough to get a decent job when i was very young. I empathize with young people in this day and age. It will become even more difficult in the near future, with more and more robots doing the work, with more automated machines cranking things out; these automatons will do things efficiently and without needing to get paid. Many employers, these days, are not treating workers like human beings; they are cutting benefits, not giving them decent retirement plans, and are loading them with extra work. Miseducation and empty hearts have a lot to do with this. If you are young, or not so young, do not get depressed over having a difficult time in the job market; it is not your fault. It is just the way things are now.
Additionally — let’s face it — the world is getting to be a much more dangerous place. Scientists have moved the Nuclear Clock closer to midnight, largely due to people in high governmental places wanting to proliferate nuclear weapons even more. There are all kinds of conflicts between separative countries and religions. Populations are increasing and not enough is being done to curtail the usage of fossil fuels. However, with all of what is going on, one can function with stability, goodness, and real care and love for the environment. There’s a lot of darkness out there — for sure — but one has to be that starlight that is beyond that vast darkness.
When i was just out of college, i (instead of the regular route) became involved in a rural intentional community. (Many called them “communes” back then.) We did everything by consensus, had no leaders, were non-denominational, shared the land, did not allow drugs or nudity, did all kinds of volunteer work in the local community, were largely self-sufficient, grew much of our own food, and cooperated instead of being competitive. The local (outside) community loved us. I’m not sure what is out there (similarly) these days, but back then there were some intentional communities that were quite sane, cooperative, down to earth, and oriented toward more reasonable self-sufficiency and being closer to Mother Earth. This may be an alternative for (some) young people in the future. A lot of people, though, who were educated to be competitive, have an extremely difficult time when it comes to a very cooperative lifestyle.
To young people, i would suggest that they question things intelligently, look beyond mere self-gratification, and do things that will really benefit people and nature. Far too many have been programmed to be greedy, competitive, self-serving, and merely specialists. Do not merely fall into the rut of merely being a specialist in some limited field. Care about the whole of life too — or care about it more than anything — and don’t just care about some little section. You are not a pawn in all of this. You are the king (and you are the whole board and more). If they don’t treat you like a king… it is their mistake, not yours.
There is a new movie coming out this week… “A Quiet Passion.” Try to see it if you can; deep learning is real joy. Often, a quiet passion is the very best kind.
Not really separate (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2017
Not really separate (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2017
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Reblogged this on A Healing Grief.
The reblog is much appreciated! Thank you! 🙂
I’m feel very lucky to have grown up in the 60’s, and not in today’s world.
Yes, Jude, we were luckier than we realized in many ways.
Yes! I think those of us in the older generation are marching to the beat of a different drum!
Yes, things were different back then. Although we didn’t have it easy… we had it easier. I hope things change in the future where people have it better and function with more dignity and real purpose.
Good words. As a teacher, 60 years old, I find the “me” mind-focus of my students disturbing and I try to teach compassion, selflessness and respect along with art. I try to remember I can’t calm the storm, so I calm myself. The storm will pass. Be well.
Yes, this movement realizes exactly what you mean by the “me” mind-focus. That “me” mind-focus was a big issue for most with the intentional community thing. A lot of it has to do with education (or miseducation) and it is so good that you are focusing on compassion, selflessness, and respect to (besides art). In terms of art… E. E. Cummings was a poet and painter… and a lot of his poems and writings deal with selflessness and compassion. Sharing them with your students (often) may be a sweet thing!
from E.E.C.:
A poet is somebody who feels, and who expresses his feeling through words.
This may sound easy. It isn’t.
A lot of people think or believe or know they feel – but that’s thinking or believing or knowing; not feeling. And poetry is feeling – not knowing or believing or thinking.
Almost anybody can learn to think or believe or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. Why? Because whenever you think or you believe or you know, you’re a lot of other people: but the moment you feel, you’re nobody-but-yourself.
To be nobody-but-yourself – in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
As for expressing nobody-but-yourself in words, that means working just a little harder than anybody who isn’t a poet can possibly imagine. Why?
Because nothing is quite as easy as using words like somebody else. We all of us do exactly this nearly all of the time – and whenever we do it, we are not poets.
If, at the end of your first ten or fifteen years of fighting and working and feeling, you find you’ve written one line of one poem, you’ll be very lucky indeed.
And so my advice to all young people who wish to become poets is: do something easy, like learning how to blow up the world – unless you’re not only willing, but glad, to feel and work and fight till you die.
Does this sound dismal? It isn’t.
It’s the most wonderful life on earth.
I hope your words are heard, Thomas, have a nice Easter and greets to Tweetie, regards Mitza
Thank you, Mitza! Happy Easter! 🙂 Tweetie and Scarlet get popcorn treats today and a special movie! 🙂
bowing to your inspired introspection & encouragement
for the young, Tom
who we have
collectively
gifted
a brave new world.
I’ll look for that film 🙂
Thanks much, David! 🙂 I’m really looking forward to that film too! There’s a lot of unorthodox magic carefully hidden among Emily Dickinson’s orthodox poems.
from E.D. (which is a poem by her that i had included within my book):
To hang our head ostensibly
And subsequent to find
That such was not the posture
Of our immortal mind,
Affords the sly presumption
That, in so dense a fuzz,
You, too, take cobweb attitudes
Upon a plane of gauze!
I think the hard thing for youngsters today is that they have to take any job, just to pay the rent. It is not a vocation and many don’t like their work at all, but in today’s economy they have no choice.
Exactly (for many of them)! And often they have to take more than one job just to make ends meet!
Sadly, yes.
These days it’s about money unfortunately, I myself am in a career I dislike but jobs are hard to find so my feelings about the job really do not matter.
It’s that way for many. Yes, it is very tough, but one has to look beyond that aspect of life (and keep the other in its place).
More jobs will be replaced by computerized machines. We are living a different world for sure, and young people are not prepared for the change…
Yes, Amy, things are really going to change!
Couldn’t agree more. Tom. I love that idea of being the ‘star.’
Happy Easter.
I don’t envy young people in this difficult world. I hope that each one of them finds answers; i hope that they all get together to help the earth in terms of transcending pollution and “dark” energy.
Wonderful picture Tom ! 🙂
Thank you, Marcela! 🙂
I think the best bet these days is to be as self-sufficient as possible, keep debt to a very minimum, and try to live a simple life.
Yes, some people are doing just that with success! 🙂
I hope a lot of young people are reading this. Your advice is both comforting and inspiring, and if I were younger, I would certainly follow it. Love the description of the intentional rural community!
Nice POST ❤ ❤ ❤