First off, I'd like to say what an amazing experience this has been to spend these weeks with all of you. It has been a wild and crazy ride at times, but throughout it all you've been there with news from the home-front and good ideas to share. As for "the team"- wow- it must have been akin to herding cats- but somehow you've kept us all on track and organized, sending in our dispatches, encouraged by your daily messages.  I will miss this for sure.

That said, I've been considering the whole idea of our political representatives. It's been obvious both before the "crisis" and during it, that our elected officials for the most part have been sadly lacking both in their understanding of peak oil and in their ability to craft an appropriate repsonse to it. I know that while I've voted for some "winning candidates" on a state level, well, I've never voted for the winning president. Pondering the slew of presidential wanna-be's doesn't leave me very hopeful either at this point in time. So where does this leave us?

Well I began to realize that in fact I vote daily- well really, countless times a day. My dictionary defines "voting" as "a formal expression of opinion or choices made by an individual", and "to express or signify will or choice in a matter". So really, isn't just about everything I do( or don't do ) in a day an expression of my opinion and choice? What I choose to eat- homegrown? local? organic?sustainably grown?  or  imported from afar, grown with chemicals on eroding soils and picked by poorly paid workers? It's my choice, my vote for which system I want to see prosper. I vote with my dollars.

Same with transportation. My choice to drive an older small Toyota, and rehab it to keep it running- rather than say purchase a new SUV- a vote to not support the production and sale of gas guzzling vehicles and the companies that manufacture them; or the advertising agencies that market the car-driving fantasy fiction to the masses. Driving as little as possible- same thing. Taking the bus when I can- a vote for mass transit. Walking? Biking? A vote for  less car dependence.

Buying as little new as possible- making most of my purchases at thrift stores? A vote for sustainability and recycling and a vote against rampant consumerism. Shopping at local stores and not Wal-Mart? Another vote.  If I shopped at Wal-Mart- well a vote in the other direction.

Building a small house using mostly recycled materials? A vote against the endless drumbeat of bigger houses and every fancier kitchens and bathrooms and walk-in closets and endless stuff. Being off-grid with a small power system? Another vote.

Spending time with my neighbors- knitting night, working on projects at someones house, pot-lucks- a vote for community. Volunteering at the Food shelf- a vote to help those who need assistance.

Not owning a TV? Choosing to not listen to violent and obscene rapper music? Another vote-against popular culture I'd guess.

And so it goes- you get the picture? I guess it all comes down to realizing the importance of living life with intent; of recognizing that what we do every day is really important. The choices we make daily really do make a difference. How will you vote?

Tags: world without oil
Current Mood: accomplished