This can’t be happening. Life is supposed to be good. But all around us (US) the quality of life is turning downhill. Most of us have realized this already, watching it from the extreme comfort of our well manicured lifestyles once thought to be immune from all forms of contamination, bugs, terrorists, and the neighbor next door.
Because the change is so gradual, it will only become a shock to each and every one of us at some point. We don’t all get the shock at the same time. Some got it years ago, like Al Gore. To say that he was ‘ahead of his time’ is true, but eventually the USA and the rest of the world will ‘wake up’ and heed the ominous signs that have been there all along.
The average person doesn’t like to be shaken from his comfort zone (security blanket/living sofa/two SUV garage) and they pity people like Al Gore who are out in their underwear running around icebergs. Who needs it? “Such is not for me”, they cry.
But like a tsunami, those who don’t see it coming are not the last to know. They are only the first to be surprised when it hits without warning, so it seems.
HOW TO BE SANE
It’s not easy to be wise, and waking up early can be a curse if the world isn’t ready. Be kind, rewind and don’t rock the boats of others. Be humble, wake them gently with kind words and high contrast facts. Separate the wheat from the chaff, and be persistent.
Don’t turn radical. The sky is falling; yes – but don’t rush out and cut off the chicken’s head. There’s plenty of time. We cannot rewind, but there’s a renaissance and sense of creative challenge to manage those aspects which are under our control.
Most of the concern is about currently manifesting conditions that will play out their consequences beyond our lifespan. We will suffer hardship and misery as one, as will our succeeding generation. As John Lennon so simply proclaimed in 1970, “Give Peace a Chance” now applies in a broader sense to the world’s socio-economic and quality of life index regardless of race, religion, or nationalistic affiliation.
For better or worse, we’re in this boat together. Make the most of what resources we’ve got at our disposal, and leave no stone unturned. A little Zen philosophy can work wonders 
