Prosperity everywhere

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On November 1, a couple of years ago, my brother Kip called early in the morning.  He asked me if we were ok.  I wondered what the heck he was talking about.  He told me that it had been on the national news that there was rioting in Madison the night before.  I then understood why we hadn't had any trick-or-treaters the night before.  Kip lives in New York City where it is almost impossible to get away from the news broadcasts.  He is astounded that I can live my life without watching the news.  I don't feel like the news adds anything of value to my life.  It's not really the "news" anyway, it's the "bad news" really.  And as this story illustrates, when the news reported rioting in Madison, that was NOT at all what was happening at our home (although it may look that way at times.)

[caption id="attachment_429" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Super Sleeper Power that eventually vanished"][/caption]

Recently, I have heard a lot of talk, even without watching the news, about the economy.  And how poor it is.  And how it is going to get worse.  And worse.  And worse.  When I hear these things, I feel my stomach clench with fear, wondering what is in store for all of us.  But then, I tell myself to get a grip.  I recall a time when my mom returned to Malawi (a small country in Africa where she lives) and she said the famine there had become so bad that the stores actually did not have food on the shelves.  When I go to my local grocery store (yeah, Willy Street Co-op!), I rarely see shelves empty and if they are there is typically a sign informing me when the product will be restocked. 

[caption id="attachment_453" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="OMG whose hand is that? It is HUGE!"][/caption]

I have decided that it would be more beneficial for me to look for signs of prosperity, rather than for signs of our doom-filled economy.  I usually don't have to look very far.  Here is a short list of what feels prosperous to me...1.  Easy access to fresh running water.  2.  A warm house on a cold day.  3.  A warm car on a cold day.  4.  A warm meal on a cold day (are you sensing a theme here??)  5.  Giggles 6.  The number of items I have access to at the local library.  7.  Madison thrift stores, where I feel that anything but anything can be mine.  8.  Baby toes 9.  Family meals. 10.  Being able to live in the city of my choosing.  11.  Being able to elect the president.  12.  A cell phone to call those I love. 13.  Freshly laundered sheets on the bed.  14.  A hot shower.  15.  Yummy smelling soap.  16.  Clothes from the dollar rack  17.  Hugs  18.  An art project....I mean I could go on and on and on here. 

I  see the gas prices lower than they have been in five years.  Instead of rejoicing, I hear on the  news that his

[caption id="attachment_427" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ellie on the boppy"][/caption]

is a sign of how horrible the economy really is.  While just a few months ago everyone was complaining of how high gas prices were now I hear no one rejoicing over the lowered prices.  What up wid dhat?. 

Recently, Thom & I watched the movie The Great Debaters.  One thing that amazed me was how the great depression was portrayed in the movie.  All of the history lessons I have received painted a picture of life during the depression as the hardest of times.  I envisioned hugely long soup lines.  Dust blowing everywhere.  People just sitting around and moaning.  But in the movie here were these students, African American no less, who were thriving at their university.  In the extra features of the DVD, they interviewed students who had actually been alive during the time.  Amazing.  Not at all what I imagined the depression was like.  The percentage of people out of work was high, but it was not as high as I would have imagined.  The vast majority of the population was still working. 

[caption id="attachment_147" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Baby Ben on the boppy."][/caption]

When Ben & I sometimes get into an argument, Ellie often becomes upset herself.  I tell her that Ben & I are working through something, very soon we will peaceful again.  I know that Ben & I will find a way to work it out and come to an acceptable agreement.  Ellie is not.  She feels the intense emotions and she responds to that.  That is what I feel about our economy right now, that we are processing through something.  We are in the process of creating something different.  We just need time to work it out and figure out something even better than we had before.

Recently as we have been walking to school in the snow, Ellie has begun to talk about how much she hates the snow.  I ask her, "If you say how much you hate the snow the whole way to school how will you feel?"  She responds, "Bad".  I ask

[caption id="attachment_115" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Prosperity to Ben"][/caption]

her what thought might feel better.  She always comes up with a better feeling thought, like, "I will be outside for only a short time then I can be cozy again."  My point is that if we all focus on how horrible the economy is, then how will we feel?  BAD.  If we focus on the many many things that are going well in this country how we will feel.  Good.  I choose to feel good.  I know we will find solutions more easily if we are feeling good than if we are stuck rolling around in the bad.  Thus, I will continue to look for prosperity around me.  Because I know that as Einstein said a problem cannot be fixed at the level of the problem, we must somehow find a way to rise above it.   That is where our solutions live.