Especially about the future. – Yogi Berra
I believe that we all look for meaning in life. It’s a vibration deep within our bones that I think is wonderfully human. However, the search for meaning is life-long, deeply personal, and intense. That being the case, some people pray, some people meditate, some medicate, and many just suppress it as long as they can. Interestingly, one common way to do exactly that is “retail therapy.”
I recently started looking at retail therapy from a different angle. Rather than buying things to relieve stress, I started looking for answers in the things other people have bought.
We were running an errand- that kind that is hard to make time for and easy to procrastinate. Entering the dour administrative office building, we took a number, and sat down on a bench that looked like it had been taken from an airport boarding area. As we waited for our number to be called, I couldn’t help but contemplate the future.
The florescent lights, worn tile floor, and exhausted decor matched my sentiment at the moment. I slouched, solemnly considering the direction of the world, struggling to see a path forward. At that moment, a woman passed down the aisle wearing an oversized, pastel pink sweatshirt with the words on the back, “it’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.”
There it was, my message from the universe, my “retail therapy.”
Surprised by these ridiculous but wise words, it slowly dawned on me that the sweatshirt was right. We don’t know what the future holds, we can guess, make predictions, and plan as much as possible. All that and still the outcome could be totally unexpected (bad or good). The media, and the internet have lead us to believe that we are doomed by irreconcilable differences, and immutable. I snapped out of it and asked, who are they to tell us what we are?
At the end of the day, no matter the problems looming ahead, it’s unlikely that they will be solved by politicians, big businesses, or the ultra-wealthy. Which is why we want to work together as neighbors in the first place. Instead of worrying about things we can’t change, let’s make the changes that we can. Wouldn’t it be nice to share food and recipes, help build gardens, and harvest rainwater to refill our aquifers? Let’s unplug and get our hands dirty, let’s make a difference with real people on our block. Let’s hear each other and be heard by one another. Let’s not lecture and scorn, rather, lead wisely by example. How about a “trickle up” change?
It’s Fall and they say the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, so I suggest that we start by eating some pumpkin pie together. When all is said and done, that pie doesn’t care who we voted for or what race, sex, or religion we are. When we eat pumpkin pie, we pause and savor the flavor, celebrating life, the fall season, and the people we are with.
No, we can’t predict the future, just as we can’t expect to agree on all things all the time. What we can do is tune out the noise, and come together around what we have common. That might just start with freshly baked pumpkin pie. Who knows where it goes from there, predictions are tough after all.
