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Roger's Home Journal
Roger's Home JournalA Prerequisite To Home Improvement Projects
By Roger Faris
May 23, 2002 -- I'm easily distracted from the usual topics of home improvement and repair by the nagging worry that doing something about human strife and destruction of the natural world might be more important than moss on the roof or kitchen remodeling.It has occurred to me, and to many other people, that the human population must make rapid and dramatic adjustments in how we live if we, and our descendents, are to keep on living. Of course the world has always been going to hell in a hand basket, but lately it feels more like a wild ride into downtown Lynnwood aboard one of those big Costco shopping carts.
As part of my work for the Save The World Institute, I frequently sail across Puget Sound to check on the health and well being of small coastal communities, and to be inspired by dramatic scenery and interesting people. Towns such as Winslow and Kingston can be counted on to provide at least a few examples of how we can live in harmony with each other and nature.
Yesterday I encountered Dave, a resident of Eagle Harbor, as he was tying up his rowboat at the public dock. He lives on an ancient workboat that floats alongside an old barge about 100 yards east of the pier. To say that Dave lives a simple life is an understatement, and only a small part of his story. He's not hooked up to pipes, wires, television, commuting, or conflict of any sort. Dave simply goes about his business of marine construction and repair, and is always available to help anyone who needs his strength and skill. He has both of these qualities in great abundance, and is considered a treasure in the Bainbridge Island community.
Dave was heading for the nearby Pegasus Cafe to attend an informal discussion on the topic of Power. We took a few minutes to explore the question of why someone would want to have or exert power over another. It's possible that our species will turn out to be fatally flawed by the primitive urge to dominate, which is also evident in the behavior of a variety of other large (and typically male) mammals. Human emotions and actions seem sometimes to be influenced by a dangerous mixture of self-centeredness, greed, jealousy, and a capacity for hatred and cruelty. Combining this with easy access to powerful technology has caused a lot of real trouble.
I noticed that Dave was carrying a heavy canvas bag of the sort that is often used to hold the tools of a shipwright. In it, though, he had an impressive collection of papers and articles relating to how we can be better stewards of the planet. He's concerned enough to spend time each day in studying and pondering how to save the world. Dave is serious about this, and has made progress in finding answers. These are not his exact words or conclusions, but here are some of the basic truths that are in his daily thoughts: We can live with what we have, or less. Live and let live! Pay attention, and share important information, along with everything else. Be a good neighbor.
How, you might ask, can you get involved in the Save The World Institute? And was it really, you might wonder, created as an excuse to go sailing, and perhaps put off some home improvement or repair? To answer the first question: Beginning immediately, your new title, if you'd like one, could be Research Associate at the Save The World Institute. I'm trying that out today, and finding that it has a pleasant ring. Feel free to make up something else, but could we agree not to have a lot of Directors, CEOs, or Presidents? Hierarchy and power structure could definitely get in the way of our mission, which, considering its ambitious scope, doesn't need any more obstacles.
As to any possible suspicion that the Save The World Institute is just some elaborate way for me to shirk a home improvement or repair project: It's absolutely not true! What I've been avoiding is writing about home improvement or repair. But my motives are reasonably pure, since I really do believe that a dramatic overhaul in priorities is called for. So join me (and Dave?). Perhaps we could meet at the Pegasus Cafe. Their "Conversation Cafe" is on Thursday evenings, just a few steps from Eagle Harbor.
Roger Faris is the Director of the Phinney Neighborhood Association Well Home Program and Project Impact Earthquake Retrofit Program (he "Directs" himself), and a Research Associate (so he says) at the Save The World Institute. Roger can be reached (unless he's sailing) at (206) 789-4993.
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