Swan Sanctuary

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Species Survival Commission (SSC) have committed to including fungi in their conservation strategies. Farmers and ranchers too, are recognizing that industrial agriculture has grossly contributed to climate change. Pollution is not only coming from what is spewn into the air by factories and automobiles; it falls upon the bare soil where it is taken up by the plants that we eat. Our soil has become lifeless from the constant tilling, erosion, and the application of herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. 

Most of the native grasses that provided food for the buffalo and other native herbivores have been eradicated. In addition to soil that has been depleted by farming practises, we have areas where cattle, sheep, and pigs trample and trod upon the ground where they are confined. Instead of being allowed to roam freely, they muck about in pens filled with feces, urine, and mud, where disease is kept in check by injecting them with drugs, hormones, and antibiotics. They are probably eating corn that has been genetically modified, instead of grazing on the plants that they were designed to eat. When the animals have been sufficiently fattened, they are slaughtered and sold to the public.

The ideas of permaculture are spreading. In permaculture design, we have closed loops, where all of the elements in an ecosystem cycle around continuously. As animals and chickens forage and graze, they leave their droppings and continue to move to new areas. In this way the plants are never over grazed and the droppings fertilize the soil for the next generation of plants. As the plants die, they are reabsorbed into the soil, feeding it. The fungi is the communication network moving through the soil, similar to the network in our human brains. It ensures that the proper nutrients are directed to each plant, by communicating with the plant roots. Without fungi, without decaying plant matter, and without animal waste, the soil continues to decline in health. Mycorrhizal fungi, in relationship with trees, can sequester carbon in the soil. We could make great strides in reversing global warming, by putting an end to industrial agriculture and returning to organic and sustainable methods all over the entire globe! 

I doubt there are many people who are not concerned about the state of things in our world today. We are in the midst of a housing crisis. The job market is slim, except for those willing to work for far less than the minimum wage should be. We all know at least one person who is struggling, in the attempt to keep a roof over himself and his family. The cost of living is so far above the income of the average American that many are losing hope. It is no wonder that apathy has dominated the collective consciousness. Those who are not depressed by the entire mess, are angry and capable of violence.

Biden had a bold and optimistic agenda when he took office almost a year ago. His spending plans call for dollar amounts that are beyond the comprehension of most, but his plans are to reverse climate change, to create more jobs, and most importantly, to tax the wealthy billionaires who continue to get richer at the expense of all humanity. We all know who these people and their corporate affiliates are: Chevron, Exxon, Chase Bank, Charles Koch Industries, Mitch McConnell, Joe Manchin, Mark Zukerberg, Cargill, Gibson Dunn Law Firm, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Walmart’s Waltons, to name a few. And let us not forget one of the best known deceivers of all – Donald Trump. While most Americans suffered great loss during last year’s pandemic, these people saw their profits increase. What is wrong with that picture? Biden’s proposal to tax the obscenely wealthy and put that money where it is needed most, would be a big step in turning our country around and addressing the serious problem of climate change.

Our current tax system is designed to protect the rich. In fact, too many facets of our “democracy” exist for the benefit of a mere 1% of our population. This makes all of us vulnerable. That vulnerability is feeding the unrest and outrage is brewing beneath it all. The tension in our world is palpable. We must begin to push back. I pray that Biden can achieve his goals before all hell breaks loose.

My mother’s aunt used to hide her money in several places around her apartment. After she passed and my mother was awarded the task of going through her things, she discovered several hundred dollars hidden in Aunt Goldie’s drawers and closets. I have heard several people voice their fears, especially since the pandemic, that the bottom could fall out of our economy. I have listened to the fear of others who are investing in Bitcoins and Crypto currency, certain that our present economy is headed for disaster. I know next to nothing about investing and the Crypto currency feels way too strange and futuristic to me. I like reading books that I can hold in my hands and I like paper money that I can count with my fingers.

My mother instilled in me the importance of saving money and I learned to balance a checkbook at an early age. To this day, I treat errors like a dog with a bone and will not stop until I find out why my account will not balance. Generally, I have made an incorrect entry or my math was off, but on a few occasions I discovered it was the bank that had erred. Even if my balance is off by only one or two pennies, I will always find and correct the problem.

Before it became common to keep one’s money in a bank, it was not unusual for people to hide their money. They would bury it in the ground or beneath floorboards. Today we have much more than paper money that requires safekeeping. We have credit cards, debit cards, and social security cards. We have account numbers, passwords, and pin numbers. With the convenience of the internet, I no longer have to wait each month for my bank statement to show up in my mailbox. I like being able to check the balance in my bank account anytime, day or night; but I know that my money is no safer. The increase in cyber attacks and identity theft has led me to question if there is anywhere that my money is truly safe.

The dilemma that I face is not knowing whether money is safer when kept in a bank, or if one should use cash whenever possible. There have been rumors that in the not too far future, cash will become useless. Money is often exchanged through internet apps like PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. They are relatively safe now, but will they succumb to the fate of Craigslist, becoming the place where hackers and scammers have a hayday taking advantage of good people?

I do not know what the world is coming to, nor do I know the possible trajectory of our economy. I have decided that the smartest thing I can do is to not keep my money all in one place. I will divide it up into two or more different banks, and I will also retain some cash. I will divide the cash up as well. I would not want to keep it all in the house because what if the house caught fire? I will not keep it all in my handbag because it could be stolen. My mother’s aunt was a smart woman as well as being very dear to my heart. I like to imagine the surprise on my daughters’ faces, after I am gone, as they uncover cash that I have hidden throughout my home!

Those who know me, know that I do not like, or trust, medical doctors. They continue to spread propaganda that is brainwashing the public. Misinformation, falsehoods, and outright lies continue to spew out of the mouths of the medical community. They rely on the unwary and the naive to believe everything they tell them, without question.

There was a time when Roman Catholics and other Christians were made to believe that if they did not confess their sins on a regular basis, they would go to a horrible place known as hell. Today we have doctors, nurses, and their staff convincing people that they must undergo every conceivable test in order to ensure that they will not become ill. This includes medical professionals who practice dentistry, ophthalmology, and veterinary medicine. Veterinary hospitals play video recordings in their waiting rooms, with the urgent message that if you do not bring your pet in for “wellness” checkups every six months, you might then be responsible if your pet becomes ill. Some veterinary clinics have gone so far as to make pet owners wait in their automobiles for hours until a clinician retrieves their pet from them; and after the doctor has performed his diagnosis, he calls the owner on their cell phone with his findings. My pets have always been honored as a member of my family. Not accompanying them into the clinic, where they will be handled by strangers, is absolutely unacceptable. A few months ago when my 14 year old cat became quite ill, and there was only one vet open on a Saturday morning, my cat and I had to endure this disreputable treatment.

I once made the mistake, when my youngest daughter was around 8 or 9 years old, of allowing a dentist to perform a root canal on her. He insisted that I remain in the waiting room, from where I could hear her crying. He would not allow me to go into the room with her. Later that afternoon we discovered that this incompetent man had done the root canal on the wrong tooth! 

I have put off taking care of a bad tooth because I do not have dental insurance. The dentist that I previously went to told me that my old amalgam filling had cracked. It needed to be replaced with a new composite filling. Since I had moved out of the area, I wanted to find a dentist who was closer. When I began to call some local dentists, I was thoroughly disgusted by their marketing tactics. I was told that they would not accept the x-rays taken by my old dentist and that it was necessary to get new x-rays every 6 months. This, I knew, was untrue and exposure to x-rays can cause cancer. I called another dentist who said that I might need a crown, I might need a root canal, and other treatments which could increase the cost of repairing one tooth to nearly $2,000, up from the $500 that my old dentist had quoted me. When I inquired about possibly just having the tooth pulled, I was told this could not be done by a regular dentist and that I would have to go to a dental surgeon.

Many years ago I went to an ophthalmologist. The doctor kept yelling at me because I could not hold my eye still for the glaucoma test. He said that I was going to break his machine if I did not hold still. When I left there, his waiting room was filled. Apparently, he ushered patients through his clinic like clockwork, about one every 10 minutes. I was probably putting him behind schedule and cutting into his profits.

I believe that doctors serve a purpose when it comes to broken bones and sewing up injuries; but on average, I think they inflict harm far more than they actually help people. I am grateful that I am not as gullible as most. I would like nothing more than to see the giant collective medical ego deflated, and to see more people taking responsibility for their own well-being. It is time that the great lie is exposed. Doctors do not want to make you well. They want to make you sick so that you have to keep returning to them. You are the source of their profit.

I have never been a fan of television. I have lived for extended periods of time without one and tried unsuccessfully, to prevent my daughters from becoming addicted to it. I am not anti-television per sé. I believe it has its place in today’s world; but for many it is habit forming and unhealthy. Addictions aside, it is the prevalence of violence with which we should be concerned. The majority of movies and television programs contain some form of violence. 

Gun ownership has risen exponentially in recent years. Much to my surprise, a photographer was shot and killed yesterday by actor Alec Baldwin. A director was also shot, but not fatally. Who knew that real guns were used in making movies? One news report stated that Baldwin has had issues with anger management. I find it astonishing that someone who has achieved fame and fortune could be filled with hostility. It is too early in the investigation to determine if the shooting was accidental. 

I am deeply concerned about the violence in our world. The human race has made great advances in many areas, but our affinity for murder and our base savagery have broadened. The lack of mercy and empathy in so many is frightening. Our children are being raised with fear and intolerance. Racism, xenophobia, and homophobia are giving rise to hatred and brutality. The attack on our capital this past January was a sobering example of what could come. It feels like we have taken ten steps back for every forward leap we have made. With nearly 8 billion people on the planet, it is more urgent  than ever to bring peace to our world. If we do not begin to resolve the world’s conflicts, we may end up killing ourselves long before global warming ends us.

Last evening I watched a program on PBS – My Garden of a Thousand Bees. I was in awe at the incredibly close up images that photographer, Martin Dohrn, was able to capture in his small Bristol, England garden. During last year’s COVID lockdown, the wildlife photographer decided to film the bees that were emerging, along with the flowers that they depend on. Over the span of a few months, he observed about 60 different bee species. I was mesmerized, not only by the bees but by the lovely, wild garden that comprised his yard. The bees sounded like miniature helicopters as they darted from flower to flower. Like butterflies, each bee species has specific flowers that it instinctively flies to. 

I feel an incredible sense of excitement every time I hear or see documentation that illustrates the intelligence in other species. That other life forms have intelligence and emotions, is something that I have always known intuitively. Most people, especially those with strong Christian influence, want to deny that animals, and especially plants, are anything more than inanimate objects. Untold cruelty has been inflicted upon other species for centuries; but humans are waking up to the fact that the lives we share this planet with, have just as much right to be here as we do. Not only do they have a right to be here – they all have an important purpose for their existence. 

I  saw a recent post on Facebook where someone had befriended a wingless bee. It is heartwarming whenever we can witness the loving bonds that form (surprisingly more often than you would think) between humans and wildlife and between two different species. Regardless of the life form that we inhabit, we all require food, water, and shelter. We are only just beginning to recognize and appreciate the diversity of life on this planet. Ancient civilizations and indigenous people that lived close to the land, understood and honored other life. Humans have always  known that we need each other. What most have not known is that we need bees and other insects, too. Or maybe we are just remembering what we have always known.

We all know of at least one person who is a constant complainer. They complain about the weather, whether it is too hot, or too cold, rainy, snowing, or windy. They do not like their job or their relatives.They complain when there is a power outage and when the internet service goes down. They complain that they are tired or they have a headache or they don’t feel well. They live in constant fear, always expecting that they might have cancer, or coronavirus, or be involved in an automobile crash. They believe everything they hear in the news and on TikTok and are easily taken in by conspiracy theories. If you suggest to them that perhaps they are being a bit too negative, they take it as a personal affront. They often resent those who have a more upbeat attitude, believing that optimists’ lives are trouble free.

In reality, even those who wear a perpetual smile, have not escaped the hard knocks and heartbreaks of life. They may have once been complainers too, but eventually discovered a new way of being. Some people are just born with a kind of flamboyant persona and they can light up a room without even trying. In general, they have handsome looks to go along with their cheerful disposition. We should “never judge a book by its cover”, it is said; and “until you have walked a mile in my shoes” do not presume or make judgements about me. Life is hard. Period. It can be challenging to be around complainers and those who seem to always be depressed. Sometimes, for our own wellbeing we must distance ourselves from them. But, whenever possible, we can try to help them look for the good. Much of the time they simply want someone to listen. No one appreciates unsolicited advice, but we can point out good to them wherever we see it. Some will refuse to see it. So be it. 

We all have good days. We have bad days. If we strive to lift one another up whenever possible, to help each other look at circumstances and events in a different light, we help to raise the collective consciousness. We can look for the good and praise it – and point it out to those who cannot yet see it. There is plenty that seems “wrong” in our world today, but if you try to observe what is good in life, you may discover that an attitude of gratitude will dispel complaints and usher in more things to be grateful for. As you begin to look for things that you are thankful for, you eventually begin to “catch” yourself getting caught in a stream of negative thinking. Eventually, your negative thoughts will be replaced with life affirming ones, and one day you may realize that you have become one of those who bring light with them into a room. We are instinctively drawn to the light, or repelled by it, depending on the overall nature of our thoughts. The fate of our world depends upon whether the “lightkeepers” of the world can dispel the darkness that has covered it. If you are prone to complaining, could you set aside one day, refusing to complain about anything? Could you spend that day looking only for the good? Can you imagine the power that could change the world, if everyone gave up complaining for a day?