Re: [GBlist] monster houses

[Kirsten Flynn <kir@declan.com>]

on 1/3/02 4:13 PM, deumling@socrates.Berkeley.EDU at
deumling@socrates.Berkeley.EDU wrote:

> <http://www.netnews.org/bookstore/materialworld.html>
> The website points to a wonderful book called "Material World: A global
> family portrait."  It is both a photo essay of how people in 30 nations
> around the world live and the stuff they live with and in, as well as a
> thoughtful description of who and what we are being shown.

I also love this book.  I think we all would be a lot better off if we were
required to look at it and really think about it once a month.  Myself
included.  It is so easy to get into comparisons and possession lust, and
the American economy is in no way typical of the world, nor should it be!  I
personally think that the family with the beautiful multicolored rugs spread
out in the snow looked like they had some richness in their life that the
owners of a new bland Mac mansion might envy.

The bottom line for me is that I think that the american culture has used
individual achievement and posessions to fill in the gaping hole in our
spirits that was left by the devaluation/break down of relationships and
community.  We each need to look at what success is, and whether what is
commonly called success brings us joy in life, (or the opposite.)I realize
this is a little squishy and out there, but I do believe true on a certain
level.  

This is one reason that I believe in infilling and rehabbing existing
structures, by their nature these construction methods are somewhat green,
because of using existing raw materials, and also move people into intact
neighborhoods.  Now if we could just dedicate a bit less of our time to
earning, and a bit more to building community, we would be doing great.

I am sure the above statements could be picked apart for logical flaws, (and
will be,) but it comes from the heart,

Kirsten


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