I think we're all responsible for each other in some way. It doesn't have to explicitly be your biological family, but industrialization has resulted in the atomization of social bonds and familial units, largely in an effort to commoditize and monetize them. Humans evolved in large social units, and we relied on social bonds not only for a shared sense of identity and community, but also for protection, the shared accumulation of resources, etc.
Modern society appears to make many of those evolved tendencies no longer a priority. However, with a bit of a deeper stare, many of the ills we all suffer in this world can be seen as an extension of this atomization. I suppose my broader thesis is that I think we're all responsible for one another in some way. It doesn't need to and shouldn't go beyond your means, but if you can help someone else out, you should. Another example, is that during the pandemic, I let some neighbors and friends take over sections of one of my yards for gardening. They ripped up an area of maybe 200 sq feet, and planted a nice garden for themselves. I had already built and established my own raised beds, but they lived in an apartment, and didn't have access to a community garden. Its a small nicety, a tiny bit of community, but it was basically no effort and minor cost to me to do so.
I'm by no means suggesting that you should impoverish yourself to help other people. I'm following a broader thesis that human bonds and community are things that require building, not bought or borrowed. I do so where I can when I have the means to do so.
And this is where my disappointment with M and Z lay. I don't blame them; I attribute it to the commercialization of all things that has resulted from whatever this modern quagmire we're in is. I'm squarely an 'M', but so many of this generation seem to think that community is something they can buy. They don't seem interested or to understand that sometimes you have to dig your heals in and build the world you want to see. I don't think B was any better in this regard, but M and Z don't have the advantage of a favorable game board to play on. We'll have to do things differently to win.
I think maybe I got lucky, in that I had a period of a couple of years of homelessness after I got out of military service. I ended up in the anarchist/ revolutionary scene, and saw people building a community they wanted to be a part of. They did what they needed to for survival, and a big part of that was building a community. Creating social bonds and ties. Giving and receiving small kindness from one another, like a deal on rent or a space to garden. Offering kindesses where you can is one way to create community, and if you can afford to do so, you should. I've carried that sentiment with me through the decisions I make. If I can make an effort or offer a small kindness, I will. I'm trying to build community where I stand. Its not something I expect to buy or have to rent. It comes from within ourselves.
Modern society appears to make many of those evolved tendencies no longer a priority. However, with a bit of a deeper stare, many of the ills we all suffer in this world can be seen as an extension of this atomization. I suppose my broader thesis is that I think we're all responsible for one another in some way. It doesn't need to and shouldn't go beyond your means, but if you can help someone else out, you should. Another example, is that during the pandemic, I let some neighbors and friends take over sections of one of my yards for gardening. They ripped up an area of maybe 200 sq feet, and planted a nice garden for themselves. I had already built and established my own raised beds, but they lived in an apartment, and didn't have access to a community garden. Its a small nicety, a tiny bit of community, but it was basically no effort and minor cost to me to do so.
I'm by no means suggesting that you should impoverish yourself to help other people. I'm following a broader thesis that human bonds and community are things that require building, not bought or borrowed. I do so where I can when I have the means to do so.
And this is where my disappointment with M and Z lay. I don't blame them; I attribute it to the commercialization of all things that has resulted from whatever this modern quagmire we're in is. I'm squarely an 'M', but so many of this generation seem to think that community is something they can buy. They don't seem interested or to understand that sometimes you have to dig your heals in and build the world you want to see. I don't think B was any better in this regard, but M and Z don't have the advantage of a favorable game board to play on. We'll have to do things differently to win.
I think maybe I got lucky, in that I had a period of a couple of years of homelessness after I got out of military service. I ended up in the anarchist/ revolutionary scene, and saw people building a community they wanted to be a part of. They did what they needed to for survival, and a big part of that was building a community. Creating social bonds and ties. Giving and receiving small kindness from one another, like a deal on rent or a space to garden. Offering kindesses where you can is one way to create community, and if you can afford to do so, you should. I've carried that sentiment with me through the decisions I make. If I can make an effort or offer a small kindness, I will. I'm trying to build community where I stand. Its not something I expect to buy or have to rent. It comes from within ourselves.