Monday, January 19, 2009
A smile, a hello, and the promise of Obama's new way.
The research is pouring in! We're born to connect. A new book, Born to Be Good by Dacher Keltner focuses on the importance of such things as smiles, the importance of making contact. It reminds me on this day, the eve of Obama's inauguration, that I originally committed to him on the basis of his smile. It was, and still is, real. No phoney smiles for him. It makes you realize how much phoney emotion we're surrounded by, from politicians to commericials. But Obama truly connects.
I was also excited by a story on the Huffington Post that told about the efforts of MeetUp and Huffington Post to get people at the inauguration to say hello. They handed out name tags and encouraged people to greet each other. It reminds me our our Phinney EcoVillage project, the "stop and chat" campaign to encourage people to get to know their neighbors. Recent research shows that when your neighbor is happy, you are affected by that. It makes you happier too. And how else is that communicated? By stopping, chatting, smiling, and laughing!
I was also excited by a story on the Huffington Post that told about the efforts of MeetUp and Huffington Post to get people at the inauguration to say hello. They handed out name tags and encouraged people to greet each other. It reminds me our our Phinney EcoVillage project, the "stop and chat" campaign to encourage people to get to know their neighbors. Recent research shows that when your neighbor is happy, you are affected by that. It makes you happier too. And how else is that communicated? By stopping, chatting, smiling, and laughing!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Studs Terkel on community and the Depression
In an interview, not long before his death at 96, Studs Terkel had some advice for how we can cope with our crumbling economy:
"The lessons of the Great Depression? Don’t blame yourself. Turn to others. Take part in the community. The big boys are not that bright.
Hope dies last—“La esperanza muere última.” Without hope, you can’t make it. And so long as we have that hope, we’ll be okay. Once you become active helping others, you feel alive. You don’t feel, “It’s my fault.” You become a different person. And others are changed, too."
Enough said.
"The lessons of the Great Depression? Don’t blame yourself. Turn to others. Take part in the community. The big boys are not that bright.
Hope dies last—“La esperanza muere última.” Without hope, you can’t make it. And so long as we have that hope, we’ll be okay. Once you become active helping others, you feel alive. You don’t feel, “It’s my fault.” You become a different person. And others are changed, too."
Enough said.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Community equals long life
What would Reagan say?
When Russia switched from a communist economy to a capitalist free market economy, life expectancy for men dropped from 67 to 60. A similar drop occurred in most of the former Soviet countries, a new study says:
There were a few exceptions where this didn't happen Poland and the Czech Republic. What was the difference? Social support.
"The authors suggest that the existence of trade unions, churches, sports, political organizations and other social organizations played a significant role in cushioning adults’ stress during the transitions.
“ ‘In countries in which more than 45 percent of the population was a member of a social organization, mass privatization had no significant adverse association with mortality rates,’ the report said."
As we face the traumas of our economy, we need to make sure there is this kind of support. We need to create community to help people weather the storm. I’ve actually had people say to me that the happiest time of their lives was during the Depression. Why? Because people helped each other out.
In those days, probably a lot of people belonged to various social groups, particularly churches. People got together because that’s all there was to do! But today participation in social groups is down, as we were shown by Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone. (Sure we’re still bowling, but not in leagues!)
What can replace this decline social support? The new localization. All over the country people are building community in their neighborhoods. For instance, in our neighborhood in Seattle that we call Phinney Ecovillage (www.phinneyecovillage.net) we have all sorts of groups: We have a climate change group, a democracy conversations group, a neighborhood council, and of course a simplicity circle. These kinds of groups help support the projects to encourage people to shop locally and eat local food. You’re much more likely to support local businesses if you know your neighbors, because you care more about your neighborhood.
When Russia switched from a communist economy to a capitalist free market economy, life expectancy for men dropped from 67 to 60. A similar drop occurred in most of the former Soviet countries, a new study says:
There were a few exceptions where this didn't happen Poland and the Czech Republic. What was the difference? Social support.
"The authors suggest that the existence of trade unions, churches, sports, political organizations and other social organizations played a significant role in cushioning adults’ stress during the transitions.
“ ‘In countries in which more than 45 percent of the population was a member of a social organization, mass privatization had no significant adverse association with mortality rates,’ the report said."
As we face the traumas of our economy, we need to make sure there is this kind of support. We need to create community to help people weather the storm. I’ve actually had people say to me that the happiest time of their lives was during the Depression. Why? Because people helped each other out.
In those days, probably a lot of people belonged to various social groups, particularly churches. People got together because that’s all there was to do! But today participation in social groups is down, as we were shown by Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone. (Sure we’re still bowling, but not in leagues!)
What can replace this decline social support? The new localization. All over the country people are building community in their neighborhoods. For instance, in our neighborhood in Seattle that we call Phinney Ecovillage (www.phinneyecovillage.net) we have all sorts of groups: We have a climate change group, a democracy conversations group, a neighborhood council, and of course a simplicity circle. These kinds of groups help support the projects to encourage people to shop locally and eat local food. You’re much more likely to support local businesses if you know your neighbors, because you care more about your neighborhood.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Deliberation
A Jan 6th column by NYTimes Clyde Haberman
calls for careful reflection as we move into our new administration. Haste in decision making has given us too many disasters, like the USA Patriot Act, to name a big one.
This is where we, the citizens, come in. We must come together for deliberation. Try something my husband I have done: "News Night." Every week we came together with friends to talk about something they had read in the news that week.
We all left those sessions having learned a lot from each other and having clarified our own views. But the most important thing was that brand new ideas emerged each week, ideas we would never have produced on our own. And most important of all, it was fun!
calls for careful reflection as we move into our new administration. Haste in decision making has given us too many disasters, like the USA Patriot Act, to name a big one.
This is where we, the citizens, come in. We must come together for deliberation. Try something my husband I have done: "News Night." Every week we came together with friends to talk about something they had read in the news that week.
We all left those sessions having learned a lot from each other and having clarified our own views. But the most important thing was that brand new ideas emerged each week, ideas we would never have produced on our own. And most important of all, it was fun!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Obama and Conversation
In a recent New York Times article
a friend recalled some Obama advice when he visited New York after Obama was a student at Columbia.
"Mr. Ramos visited Mr. Obama in New York City in the early 1980s after Mr. Obama had graduated from Columbia University.
“I was just so blown away by New York, so intimidated,” Mr. Ramos recalled. “And he said to me, ‘Mike, don’t worry. New Yorkers are just like everybody else — they appreciate a kind gesture and a thoughtful response.’ ”
This just about sums it up! This is what should lie at the heart of all of our conversation: a kind gesture and a thoughtful response.
Those of us involved in social change should always remember this, or we just drive people away.
a friend recalled some Obama advice when he visited New York after Obama was a student at Columbia.
"Mr. Ramos visited Mr. Obama in New York City in the early 1980s after Mr. Obama had graduated from Columbia University.
“I was just so blown away by New York, so intimidated,” Mr. Ramos recalled. “And he said to me, ‘Mike, don’t worry. New Yorkers are just like everybody else — they appreciate a kind gesture and a thoughtful response.’ ”
This just about sums it up! This is what should lie at the heart of all of our conversation: a kind gesture and a thoughtful response.
Those of us involved in social change should always remember this, or we just drive people away.
Democracy begins in conversation, John Dewey
At the heart of all social change is conversation. No matter what change you want, start talking about it! Talk to people on the street, talk to your neighbor, talk to the person next to you in the grocery line. Take a risk and start a discussion group. You can learn how here!
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