One hundred ten minutes. For one hundred ten minutes, I was transported into gypsy magic, thanks to Gypsy Caravan, the new movie about the Roman people. So moved I was by their spirit, that I came out of the movie wanting to sing, and dance, and share the joy I felt from them.
And I was made conscious of what is cruelly missing in our American culture. It’s called soul, and passion. The majority of us lead empty lives, fed by an orgy of mediocrity. Britney Spears has become our tragic heroin, the malls are our new congregations, and the young people’s favorite past time is to ‘hang out’. In 1933, C. G. Jung wrote the book, ‘Modern Man in Search of a Soul‘. I believe most of us are searching indeed, although we may not necessarily know it. We are searching when we make ritualistic shopping trips. We are searching when we drink ourselves into oblivion. We are searching when we starve ourselves to death. We are searching when we can’t stop wanting bigger houses, and more cars. We are searching when we can’t stop taking in more and more food. We are searching when we sit for hours at end in front of the TV or video games.
In her post, ‘A radical rethink of our lifestyles is required to save the planet‘, Anja Merret, worries about what she sees as almost unsolvable, ‘the main problem will be to persuade the ordinary folk like you and me living with all mod cons in the developed world, to radically re-assess our lifestyles and go back to very very basic living. Can you see that happening?‘. Anja, I think I have an answer for you. Not an easy one, but an answer nevertheless.
I already touched upon it in ‘The King of Buthan‘. Tonight, the gypsies reminded me. Anja deals with the substractive part of the climate crisis solution. She is right to think that it is in our human nature to not want to give back some of what we have become entitled to. My big house, my three cars, all my things, my American way of life, I want it. I think I want it. Until I find something even better, that will truly satisfy me. That’s where the gypsies come in. Although very poor, by American standards, the gypsies are in reality very rich. Their lives are filled with community, soul, passion, nature, all the important stuff. If we start reintroducing some of that gypsy spirit into our lives, it won’t be so hard to give up the rest. We won’t even want it, anymore.
La Marguerite 
This has been spinning in my mind all day – both men I married were very anti things, yet they have stereos, tv’s, camera’s cell phones, ipods,computers, lap tops, cars they wanted and it was never ever a question to get or want those things.
A chair for reading? with a table and a lamp beside it was out of the question.
Thus my furnishing after two marriages is all but 10 things – seriously – it’s sparse
I have a computer and I am really wanting a digital camera
I have a very fine line for what might be a necessity – like a place to sit and eat and /or read. vs an abundance of furniture that noone uses. Yet I have never bought a stereo in my whole life and still don’t have a cell and probably won’t get one in the near future
Things are so matter of perception. I am now down to 5 rooms/ 4 really as Matthews room is unused. In my fantasy’s I might think big house but in reality who’d clean it – I can’t imagine other wise – big house = burden or hiring a housekeeper!!! Yet a small cottage in an old town walking distance to whole foods and nature – that’s what I am shooting for. I think as you age too the “things” change.
Home is so important to me. What might look like home to you is very different to what home looks like for me.
I am in the do i need or do I want conversation and then even further am beginning to ponder does it support green – it’s such a different platform and it doesn’t always fit needs or wants
and it’s darn confusing
Mother Earth aka Karen Hanrahan
http://www.bestwellnessconsultant.com
What I notice in your story is that it’s a process, which means time, and enough internal resources to find that sustenance of the soul, like in the movie. For most people, there needs to be some external reinforcement from the environment as well.
are we the same age? how old are your kids? does my soul seem sustained ( or have sustenance to you?) doesn’t the environment speak to you and reinforce your soul?
Mother Earth aka Karen Hanrahan
http://www.bestwellnessconsultant.com
[…] thread in my blog, starting with ‘The King of Buthan’, and more recently, in ‘The World Needs Some of That Gypsy Spirit‘. Al Gore, during his interview for the Nobel Peace Prize, qualified the climate crisis, as […]