September Ramblings
September Editorial
www.ink2quill.com

The month of September is the usually the begining of fall and the end of the summer season. It’s also the start of what should be an uptick in the retail markets, spending for the holidays which not only includes gifts but spending on travel. It’s when most of us get out our winter clothes and sweaters although today and with climate change not so much. In todays wonkey climate we might see people in summer clothes well past September. Peoples’ routines change most in September, begining of Fall, and at the begining of Spring. That is when seasons, our environments and temperatures normally change most. But there are a lot more changes going on in society than just seasonal ones.

However, in some ways you could say that September is a month reflective of changes going on in the world. After all we have war in europe, economic crises in many countries, resource and energy shortages in many countries. And to also see the positive, we have the mobilization of medical resources to combat a nearly global epidemic and mostly win, and the acknowledment and conversations around climate change and how to better manage our environments.

So, what will next year look like? That’s right next year. Not 10 years or thirty years but the next year. 2023. Crises can do that to the mentality of a country or culture. That is to say, it can have people only focus on short term goals. Crises can have people worry about things in the short term and put off thinking about the long term. I’ve seen this in poor countries and communities and I understand it. Take a look at the change in mentality toward consumption and politics in the West.

Take a look online at all the people encouraging us to live off the grid and rely as little as possible on the markets or any finanacial system for the things we use and need on a daily basis. Now to be clear I do not consider most of those people crazy and most are not deranged recluses like so many stereotypes would have us believe. Most, that I’ve seen at least, are very skilled at managing and keeping track of the daily consumption of themselves and their families. Many are housewives running their families and maintaining food pantries. Many have small farms where they grow their own food and keep tract of what they put in their and their familys’ bodies and that sound smart to me. These people whom we call “Preppers” can teach us a lot about healthy consumption and environmental responsibility and that’s a good thing, at least to me. Just as a side note, I do not pay much attention to the people with bad intentions and, truth be told, I do not see many of them in this community of people seeking to raise their families and live on the fruits of their own labors. Maybe I just don’t look for the negative and so I don’t see it.

So, what do I see as a negative in this way of thinking? Well, a definite negative would be the dessemination of false information because some would act on such information and could be harmed by it. Think of somebody who makes an expensive investment using all their assets and loses everything or a person who moves across the country to a dangerous neighborhood because they were told to by rumor spreaders and know-it-alls.

So, as seasons change and some kind of austerity seems in the offing I think it’s best to live life day by day and continue to enjoy our freedoms. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s even the healthy thing to do. And we should consider long term goals as well as short term ones.

John Ink2Quill

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