As I looked at your first two photos, I kept thinking about the multiple people I know who would see nothing there. They would call it plain, boring, grey, nothing worth seeing. If pushed, they might admit that the sunrise is pretty and that, yes, there are a few green leaves here and there, but they would stick to their opinion that it isn't pretty.
In contrast, I see color everywhere. I admire the supporting structures of future beauty. I delight in the lacework of branches, the solidness of boulders, the energy of water, the nuance of light. It isn't the beauty of a fully leafed out summer forest or colorful fall, but there is beauty worth seeing.
That got me thinking about how people can have such a set vision for what good, successful, happy communities look like that they are unable to see that the structures of those things exist even if they have not yet come into fullness. They are so focused on what they want to be that they are unable to see what is. They yearn so much for their vision that they can't notice the work happening to create that vision and when then can't notice, they can't participate.
The question is how to to open people's imaginations to see beyond what they have decided is all there is. I think fiction can do this exceptionally well. Narrative non-fiction is another method. Education helps, too.
The education piece is part of why I am so excited to do community events as a Master Naturalist. When something has a specific name (e.g. Loblolly Pine vs. pine or tree), it has more meaning. When we know that violets are essential for skipper butterflies to survive, the violet has a purpose. When something has meaning and purpose, it has value. When we value something, at minimum, we don't work to eliminate it. At best, we work to preserve it.
And now this has turned into an comment long enough I could have written my own post.
You should definitely share this comment as a note! I have been profoundly impacted by Joanna Macey’s book Active Hope and her belief that until we shift our consciousness and truly value the natural world, nothing will change. This post certainly requires some imagination as we lean into the possiblitities but I think that is the fun part…the journey of discovery, the not knowing where it will end. I am so glad to find others who appreciate the narrative that is unfolding and do not need a nice tidy ending that is already defined.
I appreciate this SO much Wendy. It's wonderful to see the streams of connection and hours of conversation we've had over the last few years turn into these tangible bonds of shared action and experimentation in REAL places. I really love seeing you push forward with this weaving mission and am learning from how you are documenting it along the way. So instructive to us connectors of all kinds, and to anyone looking to use a creative approach to advancing our societies and communities forward into a future we actually want.
And THANK YOU for the shoutout out me, and to Next System! I think the Next System Teach-Ins can be a great way for others to think about inviting various streams together in their communities or regions. I had a great time planning ours here in Chicago last year and it's exciting seeing what folks are beginning to imagine toward the next global wave in April 2027. It's a great excuse and impetus to start weaving! Feel free to send folks my way, we'll be having organizing calls every other month to support brainstorming and planning for local organizers and organizing teams. :)
And here's a video from our teach-in here in Chicago. We used a few fun tricks to set the stage for quality relationship building and connection across the orientations people came in with: https://youtu.be/dfS1AmXAsFE?si=12XxGJUhXPBdNH0x
As I looked at your first two photos, I kept thinking about the multiple people I know who would see nothing there. They would call it plain, boring, grey, nothing worth seeing. If pushed, they might admit that the sunrise is pretty and that, yes, there are a few green leaves here and there, but they would stick to their opinion that it isn't pretty.
In contrast, I see color everywhere. I admire the supporting structures of future beauty. I delight in the lacework of branches, the solidness of boulders, the energy of water, the nuance of light. It isn't the beauty of a fully leafed out summer forest or colorful fall, but there is beauty worth seeing.
That got me thinking about how people can have such a set vision for what good, successful, happy communities look like that they are unable to see that the structures of those things exist even if they have not yet come into fullness. They are so focused on what they want to be that they are unable to see what is. They yearn so much for their vision that they can't notice the work happening to create that vision and when then can't notice, they can't participate.
The question is how to to open people's imaginations to see beyond what they have decided is all there is. I think fiction can do this exceptionally well. Narrative non-fiction is another method. Education helps, too.
The education piece is part of why I am so excited to do community events as a Master Naturalist. When something has a specific name (e.g. Loblolly Pine vs. pine or tree), it has more meaning. When we know that violets are essential for skipper butterflies to survive, the violet has a purpose. When something has meaning and purpose, it has value. When we value something, at minimum, we don't work to eliminate it. At best, we work to preserve it.
And now this has turned into an comment long enough I could have written my own post.
You should definitely share this comment as a note! I have been profoundly impacted by Joanna Macey’s book Active Hope and her belief that until we shift our consciousness and truly value the natural world, nothing will change. This post certainly requires some imagination as we lean into the possiblitities but I think that is the fun part…the journey of discovery, the not knowing where it will end. I am so glad to find others who appreciate the narrative that is unfolding and do not need a nice tidy ending that is already defined.
I appreciate this SO much Wendy. It's wonderful to see the streams of connection and hours of conversation we've had over the last few years turn into these tangible bonds of shared action and experimentation in REAL places. I really love seeing you push forward with this weaving mission and am learning from how you are documenting it along the way. So instructive to us connectors of all kinds, and to anyone looking to use a creative approach to advancing our societies and communities forward into a future we actually want.
And THANK YOU for the shoutout out me, and to Next System! I think the Next System Teach-Ins can be a great way for others to think about inviting various streams together in their communities or regions. I had a great time planning ours here in Chicago last year and it's exciting seeing what folks are beginning to imagine toward the next global wave in April 2027. It's a great excuse and impetus to start weaving! Feel free to send folks my way, we'll be having organizing calls every other month to support brainstorming and planning for local organizers and organizing teams. :)
More info on Teach-Ins: https://nextsystem.org/call-to-teach-ins/
And here's a video from our teach-in here in Chicago. We used a few fun tricks to set the stage for quality relationship building and connection across the orientations people came in with: https://youtu.be/dfS1AmXAsFE?si=12XxGJUhXPBdNH0x
I’m glad we are on this journey together!
me too! always learning...