So, we want to change the world… but where do we start? There are so many things that need changing. There are so many balls in the air. How do we balance the economy with the environment? How do we balance the fear of leaving our homes as we reopen amid COVID with the fear of our economy self-destructing? How do we balance work and play? Our needs with those of our children? Urban vs rural? Liberal vs conservative? The need for domestic support vs the need for international aid? The list goes on…
I think we are at a particularly exciting time right now. Frightening, yes. Overwhelming, yes. But these strange circumstances are shining lights in places we haven’t traditionally been looking. Attitudes are shifting. Priorities are shifting. Things that weren’t possible last year suddenly are not only possible, but preferable. People are learning new technology, and technology is rapidly changing to meet the needs arising from new circumstances. People can clearly see that something is broken. These are perfect conditions for change. But HOW do we change?
People talk about getting back to normal. We long for the normalcy and routine of our old lives. We fear for the economy and for our mental health. We worry about the impact on victims of violence of being cooped up with their abusers for months at a time. We worry about the effect of a years’ worth of infants never seeing faces outside of their own families. We worry about the effects of isolation, and the proliferation of anxiety. We wonder if our children’s education will be permanently affected.
But these longings and wishes ignore the fact that life wasn’t so great before either. Better than this, maybe, but not something we should hold up as the standard we would wish for. I don’t want to go back to what we had before. I’m under no illusions as to how well our economy worked, how well we were dealing with mental health crises, violence, and isolation, or how amazing our education system was. I want something better. My new favourite quote is from Bruce Zink:
“If a medically-informed response to a pandemic creates economic hardship so serious that the economic impacts are more deadly than the virus, you change your fucking economic system not your response to disease.
Condemning some to die of a preventable illness so that others don’t die of engineered poverty is disgusting.
Seriously, some of y’all dream so small. Our species can do so much better than this.”
Bruce Zink
So, how do we do better? We are limited only by the scope of our dreams. We have now seen that the impossible can be done. We cannot be complacent with the old “It can’t be done” or “That will never work.” Why not? Why can’t it be done? If it’s the right thing to do, then let’s do it. But those of us willing to change need to make some noise. We need to speak up NOW, when change is happening all around us. We need to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. We need to speak up and be heard.
If we dream big, what can we dream?
I dream of a basic income. One that ensures all people have access to the basic necessities of life without worrying from day-to day where their next meal will come from. One where people don’t have to choose between feeding their children and keeping the heat on, or a roof over their heads. One that can easily be collected back from those who DON’T need it through taxes, so that those who DO need it don’t get missed.
I dream of a future where more people work at home, with flexible hours and no commute. Where corporations need less space and traffic becomes manageable. Where individuals and families can figure out schedules that work for them.
I dream that the corporate space freed up by working at home can be used to create affordable housing and housing first options for those who find themselves with no other options. That we can create spaces that promote mental health, connection, and co-operation.
I dream of sustainable environmental policies, where government money is used to incentivise innovators and creative problem solvers instead of to subsidize status quo systems because that’s where the jobs are right now. Let’s retrain people to do the jobs we actually want done.
I dream of prevention. Physical health, mental health, cycles of violence – we know how these things work and often how to fix them. But we are stuck. We are stuck in band-aid solutions and reactive care. I dream of a system where standards of care matter. Where we have enough people trained to provide preventative care in quality facilities. Where seniors live in accommodations that mimic family homes. Where we help those who need it instead of punishing them, where we facilitate healthy attachment and connection in families and communities. Where we take care of our citizens at each age and stage of life.
I dream of a mind-set where success is not measured by the bottom line, where profit is not valued over human life, health, and happiness, and where excess is not the norm. Where people enjoy connections and experiences over the accumulation of plastic trinkets and where gratitude trumps greed. A community where co-operation is valued over competition, and where we invite those with more to make positive change for those with less.
I dream of leadership that inspires and facilitates international cooperation to solve inequities that leave children starving and families with nowhere to go. A government that works together and creates lasting change that isn’t immediately undone each time the leadership changes. One where I can look up to those in charge of our country as good role models for my children.
I dream of an education system that excites students and meets them where they are. One that has flexibility to meet differing needs in different ways. One that transcends the need to produce literate and functional factory workers and instead guides independent learners and thinkers who can dream bigger than we can and then go out and make those dreams reality.
What do you dream? If you were starting over, how would you start? Join me in the dreaming, because the dreaming is the beginning of better…
Out of the Well 