From Bioneers Conference: We live in critical and wondrous times

The Challenge is Great! from Bioneers on Vimeo.

Power to change

In finishing this book I looked for only the positive ideas Lappe talked about. I fully believe in the changes our world needs to apply for survival. We can accomplish this through an active and orderly democracy. We have to be understandable with the process we are facing. It will take time and knowing that will change the frustrations we might feel. The other thing we have to do is have patients. “In order to multiply the courageous, we can actively protect, publicly reward, and honor truth tellers – including those risking humiliation, livelihoods, or their lives to uphold democratic values. “ (page218) This gives us opportunities to expand our ideas in only a positive way. What can life be if we have an open positive mind? How much progression can be produced with that type of heart? I believe that the more our society, as a whole, thinks like that the more we can get ourselves out of the problem areas we face. “We can transform these assailants into that which can save us.” (page174) Time goes by, we can either carry each moment with an idea of togetherness or we can just watch it pass. The people who let it pass are those who are afraid. I do not want to be afraid of what is in store for me. I will accept it as it comes and make the best of that. People who fear don’t every truly get that chance to live. “We can remake the idea of fear itself and reshape our instinctual responses.” (page166) We can change. Democracy can change.

The Invaluable Resource

Humility is a virtue that is often overlooked until the moment when it is displayed. What makes humility so difficult is the fact that we as a race are proud and we give ourselves a false sense of entitlement to what is around us. To admit that things aren’t the way we perceive we first must admit that the other view is more accurate and that is not always the easiest thing to do. An example of this would be war. Each point of view intends to make the other point view appear evil or misguided while making their angle on the matter appear like the logical and well-meaning side. With that in mind we are brought to the point of the probability of success and failure: which is more of a perception issue than actual reality. The failure to do one thing means to successfully achieve another thing. Many times the reason we fail isn’t because what we were pursuing was out of reach, but rather our resources were not applied properly. For example, it was said that humans cannot fly, and now we take the idea of flying for granted. However, look at it this way: before flight was possible people had to fail. Does that mean that they failed because the probability of success didn’t favor them? No, what it meant was that they had the right resources, but they didn’t apply them in such a way that would make flight possible. Now that brings the point of people who go to college. Most would say that going to college is expensive and in some cases impossible. But while some may have the money to enter college, if they don’t apply themselves academically, they might as well not have the money. Then there are those who have the brains, but don’t have the financial resources. Though it may sound cold, almost everybody has the resources to go to college, but most prioritize other things. This results in the misapplication of resources in favor of something else; resulting in the failure to enter college. If we can identify, with some confidence the conditions that bring out the worse in us, we know what to do”. (181)

From Amber. . .

I’m not too sure about how I should feel towards this book. I mean, when I started out reading, I didn’t like the author’s ideas at all, but then I found myself agreeing to some of her ideas on life as I continued to read. I’m really struggling trying to figure out what she stands behind though, because I find her contradicting herself a lot. I also find that she points and puts the blame on humans rather than pointing the issues out, placing the blame on no one, because it’s no one’s fault really as to why the world functions the way it does. Placing blame suggest that there is no room for change in my opinion.
One statement made in the book was, “We as humans see pretty much what we expect to see.” (158) This is one that I just can’t sit with. This statement to me has blame written all over it. I believe some humans go through life this way but not all, I believe a lot of us go through life seeing what is put in sight, because of many different reasons; whether its just society, culture, race, whatever. Our society as a whole has created things that give humans the right to expect. Well some humans. My family always told me, “Never expect anything.” So I don’t. Which is why I disagree. Expecting is a path to failure and yes some humans do it but a lot more don’t go through life this way. If all humans were this way, there would be no such thing as creativity, change, movement, etc. So yes I, agree that some people don’t live outside the box and see what they expect but I will not let her place everyone in the same grouping, especially being an artist.
I also find myself scattered because her thoughts are scattered throughout the reading. I’m not disliking the book completely because Lappe’ does hold some valid points. “The danger lies in refusing to face fear…courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier.” (165) This for example is a beautiful quote to me. Fear is one of the reasons I can agree with her idea that humans see what they expect. If you have fear all you see and expect to see is failure. There’s nothing to look forward to when living with fear. Courage is what we all need. If we as a community think courage than our world could quickly become a better place. I love that she brought this up. We’re often held back as a community because of fear, which then leaves us “powerless”, as she would say.
I believe this book suggest change in some way. We just need to think positive outside the box, to move towards change. “Where do we go from here?” (224) We can only move forward, because what’s done is done in the world. Living democracy is a must, power and love must combine, fear must disappear and hope must grow.

Righting Wrongs

"It's hard, but sometimes we get lucky. We get a kick in the pants. We experience a moment of internal dissonance in which we suddenly realize that our old ways of seeing no longer helps us make sense of the world." (158)

Geez, when is that NOT true? I have always been a very stubborn person. I am the person that refuses to admit they are wrong even when all signs show how incorrect they really are. I have also been the type of person that either blames themselves all of the time or not at all. I personally had multiple "kick in the pants" all through my life. However one key moment rings a very loud bell to me at the time and still now.

I thought proving friendships that seemed rather unfavorable would benefit from giving certain tests to the friend/s. In the process, it nearly ruined a friendship ultimately. I would regularly test my friend from seeing if they would answer their phone/text at several times early in the morning or late at night to borrowing random stuff to just having a sporadic talk out of the blue. I thought I was fully in the right place by doing all of this stuff. If anything, not only was I in the wrong place actually but I could have been the textbook example of how wrong I was. My so-called necessary tests were maiming my already sensitive friendship. I saw how irritated and annoyed my friend would get. Did the signs stop me from distributing more tests? NOT AT ALL. 

As for the long overdue kick in the pants moment was this.  My friend did not only get beyond frustrated and bothered with my antics, but he told me he would never talk to me again and that we were through. I have always feared of pushing any of my friends away and them saying any of those words. I was at long last meeting one of my biggest fears. It made me realize I do overreact, over-think, over-speak, over-analyze, and how utterly over I am with the tests. Maybe in the beginning of the friendship, a few tests are fair game to figure out what type of person you are befriending is. 10 million tests per month no, not fair at all. I saw my over-analyzations although occasional fun, can lead to damaged situations. I could not see anything as simple. It made me jealous of a small gesture to someone saying "hi". I learned to take things as they are or least not as extreme heightened versions of themselves. I am just starting now to breathe a little more balanced, content. This was needed and will be continued. This time I will admit I was wrong but at least, I am right in admitting to it :)

Standing up to fear

"As fear spreads throughout our culture, it's not surprising that many of us are even more tempted to run from conflict" (168)

Lappé talks a lot in these three chapters about standing up for what you believe in, not letting your fear stop you from questioning authority or compromising your integrity. She tells us to stand up and break the cycle of fear. She claims just raising her hand to speak out against Al Gore was enough to make her realize that feeling of fear can be squashed. However it is not as easy as that. Sure we are taught to stand up and not let anyone stop us but it is much easier said than done. Acceptance is something we all as humans strive for. Acceptance from our parents, our peers, bosses etc. As we learned in power and love, no one wants to be alone, we strive to gain love from others while maintaining a certain level of power. As much as I wish I could say every time I wanted to say something I have, that would be a lie. I hate conflict, I don't like fights and I don't like arguments. However throughout reading this book I have learned to look at conflict in a new light. Conflict can be a good thing. It can be ways to open up the eyes of someone else, arguing in a positive way is possible. "We must rethink fear itself so that we can see what some others may not want to see and say what they may not want to hear" (173).I've learned that voicing your opinion can open someones eyes up and challenge their point of view. It is a way to open up someones mind while letting yourself be free and staying true to your beliefs. I have no always said everything I have wanted to say before for fear or sounding ignorant, or upsetting others but now I am going to start to have some more confidence in myself and my believes. Who knows it might open up someones mind and change their way of viewing the subject. To me that is powerful and that is ways that I can begin to break my own cycle of fear-instead of letting fear fuel my feelings of powerless, I am going to fuel my power by squashing my fears.

This Opportunity Comes Once In a Lifetime?

Throughout my life, I was taught that “‘Seize the moment’ [… referred] to a positive moment of opportunity, one not to be wasted” and that we live and strive for these moments, but according to Lappé:

[…] that such a moment can come as a disconcerting shock, dissonance that might not feel good at the time. It is in these precious moments –when something shakes up us, rattling us from our resignation or depression, or galvanizing that vague sense that there must be more to life ––that we can break free of the cycle of fear (161).

In order to break free from the cycle of fear we must recognize fear and realize that there are different alternatives to enter the hope cycle. In the section, “Rude Shock,” the author provides an example of a Republican couple belonging to a “conservative” Christian church. The couple informed their minister about the new realization they have come to regarding the Bush administration and were told to not share it with other church members. This was a shock to the couple, how could such advice come from their misters (162)? The jolt, gave them two choices, follow the cycle of fear or break free from it, which is what we must choose between.

It is not easy to turn down job offerings or opportunity for higher education, but you have do to what feels right in most cases. Like the couple, I have explored new ideas and have come to accept them, for example, holding off on applying to medical school and working from home. When I came to my family for reassurance and comfort, they were not my strongest supporters at first. I thought about pleasing them, but after some realization, I did not. I choose to break free and listen to my conscience. Although, the “moment” was given to me I chose to delay it, by widening my ideas to provide myself with alternative opportunities. As long as you do not think that once an opportunity passes, it is wasted, then you can break free from the cycle of fear and move on to greater opportunities.

From Pedro: Seize the Moment

I have always been told to seize the moment because I will never get it back. When I think about seizing a moment, I usually think about soccer. I am an athlete, and every athletes dream is to go pro in their favorite sport. The book talks about the cycle of hope and the cycle of fear and I feel that I have gone through both with soccer. I remember when I was 17 years old I went to Florida for Super-Y ODP (Olympic Development Program) National Camp. Needless to say I was very scared and nervous because I knew it was a pretty big deal, I would be playing with 350 of the best players in the country, with 100’s of college coaches watching. I feel that I went through the cycle of Hope in that week of camp. I experienced or recognized fear on the first night of practice which I didn’t play too well. However, I met new people and it helped ease my fear, especially when I talked to my parents. They told me to enjoy myself and to remember the reason that I was there. “To break free, we must understand how we arrived here, and to do that, we have to reach back in time” (165). I was there because the coaches of northern California had voted me to represent our region of the United States. That is when I realized that I deserved to be there just like any of the other guys there, and I experienced joy and got a glimpse of possibility. I slept, ate, and played soccer the entire week, and I played really well. Out of the 350 guys there, I was selected to play in the All Star game where they would choose the US Men’s ODP National Team to go to Germany and play. I barely missed the cut, but I was very proud of myself and I had proven that I could play with the best of them. It also helped me get into college, which is the main reason I was there, to seize that moment, something that I will always remember. “The danger lies in refusing to face the fear…courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run it is easier” (Eleanor Roosevelt 165). She is right.

I've Got the Power....I DO?!

 As a young adult, it is common to feel like you are absolutely powerless. You have no control whatsoever, you have to succumb to your parents' word and abide to it as law. Little does most young adults realize that they truly have a power of their own. In fact, many people regardless of their age, class, gender, social status, etc. have power such in cases of democracy. "So this is what democracy must feel like. I bet I've have heard this twenty different times in completely different settings - it doesn't feel foreign when people experience it but democracy is a need we don't always know we have," (77) Martha Mccoy proclaims. Some may think ignorance is bliss, and while I may agree to the phrase on occasion, in this case I certainly do not. I believe more people should realize the true power they possess along with democracy. They have what it takes to change the future or even just to alter a rather ignorant or close-minded individual's mind about something. It is possible. Take for instance this colloquium class. Without much exaggeration, this class is a prime example of that. Several people in this class realized how much power they really had. When we were informing our own school about gleaning and its importance, I believe  it is safe to say we have changed our multiple peers' minds or at the very least, informed them. Our peers generally had no idea what was gleaning, as well some basic nutrition facts. With the game we put together to inform our peers better about gleaning and nutrition, it brought to all of our attention how little and at the same time, how much some of our peers were informed on the subject. Regardless though, they were informed further about this subject. Thus, we made a difference and even used our power even if we did not realize it at the time. Maybe we are not kings, rulers, presidents, or what have you, but we still have a voice and sometimes, that is all we really need.

Knowledge is Power

“Knowledge is power”—a famous quote from a theme song to the children’s television show, “Schoolhouse Rock” once told me. Growing up, I was always taught that it is important to know a lot of information; meaning that the more you know, the more success you will attain in life. Now being older, as well as more knowledgeable, I have to admit that there is some success in my life because I was able to know certain things. Yet, on the other hand, much of my success has been inherited through my experiences in life, i.e the power that I use to control what goes on in my life.
What Lappé is expressing is the fact, that we will never know everything! Knowing everything is not even plausible or possible. As Lappé states, “it is not possible to know what’s possible,” (217). She is correct in that, big things come out of small steps. Those small steps brought about huge change, and I am sure those people that brought change, did not have the knowledge beforehand that it would affect so many, and make such a huge contribution. Take for example, our class, and all of the effort we have been doing in teams and/or alone. We were all able to gain knowledge of gleaning, and with that knowledge, we were able to spread our knowledge out to our community, and use it to teach others, assist in feeding, and even do research with a community leader to help others gain more knowledge. With this past semester alone, we have all stepped up, using our knowledge, and created power through experiences, and made a more possible awareness of the School Lunch Program in the Marin community. I, along with many others in the class, am sure that we all did not expect to make such a change in taking a Colloquium class at Dominican. It’s amazing the change we have already made, and we have made it possible for many others to take our knowledge and experience, and use it to create their own.
My main point coorrelates with Lappé’s: “...initiatives you’ve encountered in this book began with one person or a small handful of people. The rapidity of their growth, the parallels in the lessons being learned, suggests that we would be naïve—just plain silly—to underestimate their potential to scale, enabling us to truly live democracy” (217). We need to use our own knowledge and be “willing to say the unpopular and to say what has to be said, even when it upsets another or makes their eyes glaze over!” (218). Using our knowledge, we cannot predict the success in it, but we can use our power and create an experience out of it that can make change.