The Real Butterfly Effect
Good grief. Or, rather bad grief.
I spent much of this morning combing through headlines and "footlines," and now I am depressed enough to figure my life isn't too shabby, after all. I'm also angry. I'm so very, very angry. A despair settles over me, and I don't know what to do about it. I'm not a wealthy person-- and even if I was, I couldn't stop the flood that is this recession. As I was writing to my mum... It's like sucking on buttons to keep your mouth moist-- except that you're in the middle of a desert. Eventually, it fails. We die of thirst.
We are part of nations who are effectively in a severe state of dehydration, and there's no water in sight. Hmmm. Speaking of which...
* According to an article on MSN, California is in a state of emergency for drought. Reduction of water= reduction of crops= increase in price of crops= less products purchased because of increased cost. Herds of cattle have been reduced, as the land can't support the food to feed them. This is California, peoples-- where a large percentage of our non-local food is grown.
* Also according to MSN, government funding is down, but because of the economic crisis, college admission application has increased (folks looking for a new line of work). If you have ever been a college student or professor, you know the evil that is a 45-student class.
* Speaking of school, since foreclosures are skyrocketing & people are losing their jobs, many families are finding themselves homeless (or extreme sub-par living conditions). Have you ever tried to study when you are so cold, hungry, scared or tired that you figured that it couldn't possibly get worse? The grades go down. Issues develop. Oh, well, beg your pardon, because Child Care Services can declare your parents unfit-- you're then taken away from your family. Your family... your mother and/or father, who CANNOT support a family of three, let alone four or more on minimum wage (or even higher--peoples, the typical rent in suburbia/cities of Minnesota is between $750-$2,000/month for up to two bedrooms, depending on the type of apartment & shittiness of your 'hood-- do the math & add in a car, gas, utilities and groceries).
There were many other stories, of course... but I am almost unable to take them all in. I have a word of advice: everybody befriend your nearest water witch, and borrow books from the library on how to live off the land (that is, if government funding hasn't ben cut back so far that your local library is only open for four hours every day). You know, if your land & water hasn't been completely poisoned by the shit we've allowed to be dumped into it. That would be a good one. Surprise! The only way left to live is not possible, because we've shit where we didn't realize we'd have to eat.
Cheers