Fires!

There are fires burning in each corner of Arizona, one of them is not far - as the crow flies - from my house.  The winds have been strong over the northeastern part of the state for days and days, or is it weeks?  It seems like forever!  I think the winds that blow over us end up in the midwest and southeast as tornadoes.  Isn't it Chaos Theory that says the breeze from a butterfly's wings in Asia can end up as a hurricane in the Atlantic?  It feels like Chaos Theory is ruling the world.

I belong to a small email list that is local to my area.  We talk about farming, gardening and ranching.  However, the last day or two people (including myself) have been offering shelter for people and animals affected by this fire, the Wallow fire, which led to the evacuation of Alpine, Arizona.  Those of us who are not affected by the fire are all thankful for that, but those of us who have extra space are banding together in community to help those who are affected.  In times of trouble, that is what humans do.

Well, I do believe more trouble is a-coming!  Whether it is weather related, or economically related, we need to band together in small, like-minded communities to help each other out.  Back in the day when there were far fewer humans on the planet, we lived in tribal villages.  When the tribes got too big, they separated into clan villages, because the people knew that it was easier to mobilize smaller groups to act for the good of the whole community.  Too few, and defense was impossible... too many, and agreement was impossible.

Now, there are too many of us, and our weapons have gotten too sophisticated, so that tribal warfare is a very bad idea.  Nowadays, that is called terrorism.  However, banding together for the common good in times of trouble is still a strong human instinct. 

May we come together in an inclusive community, not an exclusive compound.  May we come together in a spirit of love and sharing, not with suspicion and distrust.  I think that what is coming is going to test humanity in the most basic of ways.  I hope we all pass the test, and come through whole and happy on the other side.  It may be a little like going through a black hole:  there are theories about what that process is like, and what is on the other side, but no one knows for sure. 

Let us cross our fingers, hope for the best, but take steps to ensure the continuation of our villages and communities.

Theresa