The future begins today

 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:1

I thought of this passage from the Old Testament while reading about and pondering simplicity and our growing need to simplify and change in these times of self-created global peril.

“Time and chance” is indeed happening to us all. But the Old Testament was wrong in one important respect:  Our future is unfolding not despite “the race,” “the battle,” the so-called “wise” and “riches to men of understanding” and our “skill,” but because of them.

Halt the race and end the battles. Recognize that our "wisdom" has in fact been folly. Our “riches” and the resulting inequity kill millions in number and the rich in spirit. Our "skill" is destroying the planet and all life on it.

The race, battle, bread and riches will mean nothing in a generation. In a mere 30 years or less, we will have doomed our children and grandchildren to irreversible despair.

To avoid such a future, today — now — we must change, radically — by quickly slowing down.

Simplify, live close to and in harmony with the planet and nature.

Start with yourself.

Live for the world you want for posterity. The future begins with today.

PS The book I've been reading about simplicity, bears that word as its title and is written by fellow Quaker Jennifer Kavanagh. You can learn more about it HERE.

A Story before Sleep

Here’s some all-purpose advice from Mabel, a 3-year-old friend who lives near Bristol, England. The story is conveyed by her grandfather, Richard, a friend of much, much longer standing.

Mabel is being visited by another small girl for an overnight. Mabel’s parents are socializing with the girl’s parents while the two children are sent off to the bedroom.

Richard reports that Mabel’s mom, Ruth, checks up occasionally on the two “to find that they have transformed the bedroom into a dance hall, then a pirate ship. At last, the kids snuggle themselves down and Mabel reads a goodnight story to her companion.”

When Ruth peeks in again, it seems that Mabel hasn’t realized that a goodnight story is just that — an end-of-the-day, drop-off-to-sleep event. “Every time the friend nods off Mabel shouts, ‘Wake up! We aren't at the end of the story!’”

Richard shared the story with me yesterday and throughout the day the line kept coming back like a refrain as I encountered life’s little challenges and opportunities.

“Wake up!” I’d say to myself. “We aren’t at the end of the story!”

Good advice. I will use it today and until I exhaust my tomorrows.

“Wake up! We aren’t at the end of the story....”

Wisdom

A wise man knows he is not wise.