Awakening the Dreamer

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He could do something about it....but I'm afraid he might ask me the same question" - Anonymous

So, at the last minute I heard about this symposium called Awakening the Dreamer. And since they were so very baby friendly, the two of us (attached at the breast) decided to go. There were things I had already read about, and there were many things I had already seen. Some may think that if you’ve already been exposed to topics and have the drive to do the research yourself then a symposium on these topics (environmental sustainability, spiritual fulfillment and social justice) would be a waste of time. For me, however Awakening the Dreamer had me tap into something more profound. It brought to my consciousness what exactly I’ve been dreaming about.

In an exercise, the facilitator had asked us to lower our eyes and imagine what the sustainable world would look like….mine was abundant with voluptuous forests and vibrant greens; filled with sand, sun, rock and endless clear, fresh ocean where I could both swim and drink. Then the facilitator quietly advised us to notice the details of this place and what had disappeared from the ‘old world’ or the world as we know it today. Without skipping a beat my soul whispered to my brain “Concern. There is no more concern.”

I have to break here, from my imaginings, to reflect on what ‘concern’ encompasses. Concern for what’s in our food and on our food. Concern for where our food comes from. Concern for the ingredients in products (ie. cocamidoprophyl betaine- randomly selected from a bottle) that are far out of knowledgeable reach not to mention unpronounceable. Concern for the water I drink, wash my dishes & veggies in, and bathe my child in. Concern for the air we breathe. Concern for all these causing disease.  And if I wasn’t too afraid to find out more, the list wouldn’t end here.

How freeing it would be, I thought with my eyes closed lightly, if concern for survival vanished.  We were then asked to imagine sitting in a grassy meadow with the children of the future. Those children were asking us what it used to be like in the ‘old world’ and what we did (as a family) to fix it. As a list of ‘things I had done’ flooded through my mind, I grabbed my pencil and notepad that had weaved its way into a pile of toys.

1.Give up the comforts I grew up knowing as comforts and conveniences (the numerous unsustainable ones).

2.       Move to a rural setting.

3.       Live off the land, grow own food, live simply. Live by example.

4.       Meet with and live in community.

5.       Teach others about a new way of life in some capacity.

Revisiting the list later on in the symposium I realized that although I would like to do much (much!) more, I have already subconsciously begun living this list. Start small and grow, in all things.

I was encouraged by the like-minded folk and by the vastness of the global sustainability movement. When our world seems so discouraging don’t forget that the time has come when people are making a move. Also, be aware and proud of the mountains humankind have climbed, the boulders we’ve pushed out of our way, and the walls we have executed. As Desmond Tutu reminds us we, the people, have already executed such things as segregation, apartheid, and Nazism so we can move our world in a more natural, healthy, peaceful and satisfying direction. I encourage you to go to one of these symposiums or sit on a sustainability committee, join an organization or start talking about it with friends. The time is coming where these communities will join hands and become a massive population of change. The change we need to see and be.

Join and do these things even with baby. If the baby isn’t welcome, they're probably not working towards their goal in the right way. As a bonus your baby may even be used as tangible motivation for others. A motivation, that is, to improve things for future generations and to stop doing things only to satisfy the individual in the immediate.  

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